Vaccine Storage and Handling

For Health Care Providers

What to know

Proper vaccine storage and handling practices are essential for protecting patients by ensuring product efficacy and quality, preventing unnecessary revaccination, minimizing vaccine wastage, and ensuring a viable vaccine supply. Ultimately, adhering to vaccine storage and handling guidelines helps improve patients' health by preventing disease.

Vaccines Storage and Handling Toolkit

About the Toolkit

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit provides valuable information, guidance, and resources to help providers store and handle vaccines properly. This information also applies to RSV monoclonal antibody products. The toolkit brings together content from manufacturer information, findings from scientific studies, General Best Practices for Immunization, and Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (the "Pink Book").

View, download, or print the toolkit PDFs

Monkeypox Vaccination Providers

All monkeypox vaccination providers participating in the specified Vaccination Program must store and handle vaccines under proper conditions to maintain the cold chain as outlined in the toolkit and addendum.

Key Updates

The full toolkit has been updated on 7/14/2026

Introduction

  • Clarified guidance on how VFC providers should use this toolkit
  • Added links to CDC's vaccine storage and handling training and related resources

Section 2: Staffing and Training

  • Expanded details on standard operating procedures (SOPs) for vaccine storage and handling
  • Updated guidance on the backup (alternate) vaccine coordinator role

Section 3: Vaccine Storage and Temperature Monitoring Equipment

  • Updated information on acceptable vaccine storage units
  • Revised guidance for storing vaccines with different temperature ranges in the same unit
  • Added new guidance on temperature monitoring device placement and use
  • Added new details on Certificates of Calibration Testing
  • Added alternatives for storing vaccines without their original packaging
  • Revised guidance on how to handle temperature excursions
  • Clarified CDC's role following temperature excursions

Section 4: Vaccine Inventory Management

  • Added guidance on vaccine ordering
  • Added guidance on expiration dates and beyond-use dates

Section 5: Vaccine Preparation

  • Added best practices for vaccine preparation
  • Added information on predrawn vaccines

Resources section

Addendum

  • Updated instructions for storage, handling, and transport of monkeypox vaccine (Jynneos)

Disclaimer

This document provides guidance and best practices on storage, handling, and transport of immunization products and their diluents. It also provides information about Vaccines for Children (VFC) program product storage and handling requirements. Use of trade names and commercial sources in this toolkit is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS), or CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Where to Find Current, Product-specific Storage and Handling Guidance

The source of vaccine storage and handling guidance depends on whether the vaccine is approved (also referred to as licensed) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or authorized by FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).

Note: Vaccine manufacturers may occasionally revise expiration or beyond-use dates after the release of the package insert or EUA Fact Sheet. These updates are typically communicated through the FDA's Expiration Dating Extension website or in a "Dear Health Care Provider" letter.

Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program

The Vaccines for Children (VFC) program provides vaccines to children whose parents or guardians may not be able to afford them. VFC providers play a crucial role in ensuring VFC-eligible children receive effective, quality immunization products.

The VFC Operations Guide is the primary source of guidance for VFC participants. This toolkit complements the VFC Operations Guide by providing background on many VFC storage and handling requirements and highlighting best practices essential for safeguarding the public vaccine supply. VFC participants are encouraged to implement all guidance and best practices outlined in the toolkit in addition to the requirements and guidance from the VFC Operations Guide. VFC requirements are marked with an asterisk throughout this toolkit.

VFC participants and other providers who administer vaccines purchased with public funds should consult their state or local immunization program (referred to throughout this document as "immunization program") to ensure compliance with all mandatory jurisdiction-specific storage and handling requirements.

Note: The terms "VFC-compliant," "CDC-compliant," or "satisfies VFC requirements" are sometimes used in equipment vendor marketing materials or on their websites. In this context, "compliance" and related terms may lead consumers to incorrectly believe that CDC or the VFC program has independently assessed and verified the quality of these products. CDC, including the VFC program, is not authorized to assess, validate, verify, or endorse the products or services of private companies. Should providers encounter this type of language in vendor marketing materials, please keep in mind that neither CDC nor the VFC program has validated any product or service for compliance with CDC or VFC program requirements or standards.

Questions?

Providers with Specific Questions Can Contact:

Additional Information and Trainings

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Content Source:
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; Immunization Services Division