At a glance
Proper vaccine storage and handling practices play a very important role in protecting individuals and communities from vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccine quality is the shared responsibility of everyone, from the time vaccine is manufactured until it is administered.
Storage & Handling Labels
Organizing vaccines within the storage unit with labels is a best practice that can minimize vaccination errors. These example vaccine labels can help staff quickly identify vaccines and beyond-use date information, if applicable.
Vaccine Labels (Feb 2024)
2023-2024 Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Labels (Oct 2023)
Vaccine Storage Temperatures
This new one-pager includes the recommended temperatures for vaccines stored in the refrigerator, freezer, and ultra-cold freezer. This resource includes the vaccine and product trade names for easier identification.
Recommended Vaccine Storage Temperatures
Storage Best Practices
These storage and handling fact sheets illustrate best practices for refrigerated and frozen vaccines. Written in plain language, they include assessments to reinforce key points. While they are CDC-developed and branded fact sheets, each contains an area where you can insert your agency's logo.
Refrigerated Vaccines Storage Best Practices
Fahrenheit (F) | Celsius (C)
Frozen Vaccines Storage Best Practices
Fahrenheit (F) | Celsius (C)
Vaccine Temperature Monitoring
Temperature Monitoring Best Practices
These fact sheets illustrate best practices for refrigerated and frozen vaccines. Written in plain language, they include assessments to reinforce key points. While they are CDC-developed and branded fact sheets, each contains an area where you can insert your agency's logo.
Refrigerated Vaccines Temperature Monitoring (Feb 2018)
Fahrenheit (F) | Celsius (C)
Frozen Vaccines Temperature Monitoring (Feb 2018)
Fahrenheit (F) | Celsius (C)
Temperature Logs for COVID-19 Vaccines
When storing COVID-19 vaccines in your practice, you can use the logs below to track, check, and record daily temperatures.
Refrigerator Vaccine Storage Temperature Logs (Jan 2021)
(Celsius) l (Fahrenheit)
Ultra-Cold Vaccine Storage Temperature Logs (Nov 2021)
(Celsius) l (Fahrenheit)
Temperature Excursions
This guidance document describes immediate corrective actions following a temperature excursion in your vaccine storage unit.
Handling a Temperature Excursion in Your Vaccine Storage Unit
Transportation
Do you know how to protect your vaccines during equipment failures, power outages, or natural disasters? This document illustrates how to pack refrigerated vaccines during emergencies to prevent compromising vaccine storage conditions and damage to your vaccine supply.
Disposal And Vaccine Wastage
Information to help providers and immunization managers in COVID-19 vaccination programs identify, handle, dispose of, and report COVID-19 vaccine waste.
Identifying, Disposing, and Reporting COVID-19 Vaccine Wastage
This fact sheet reinforces how to protect yourself from needlestick injuries while administering COVID-19 vaccines or helping at vaccination sites.
Safe and Proper Sharps Disposal During the COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Campaign
Web-based Training Courses
An interactive, web-based module which provides learning opportunities, self-test practice questions, reference and resource materials, and an extensive glossary. Continuing education credit is available.
You Call the Shots: Vaccine Storage and Handling Module
This one-hour web-on-demand video provides comprehensive recommendations and best practices on vaccine storage and handling.
Pink Book Webinar: Vaccine Storage and Handling Module
This web-on-demand, self-paced module is for healthcare providers who administer COVID-19 vaccines. This module includes information about approved COVID-19 vaccines, Emergency Use Authorization, vaccine safety, and guidelines on vaccine storage, handling, administration, and reporting.
COVID-19 Vaccine Training: What Healthcare Professionals Need to Know
Additional Best Practices
Notice
This At-a-Glance guide compiles several resources for vaccine administration, storage, and handling.
Vaccine Administration and Storage and Handling Resources Guide
This chapter of the Pink Book provides an overview of best practices for vaccine storage and handling. See the note above about referencing this document.
Pink Book Chapter on Vaccine Storage and Handling
This webpage includes vaccine administration, timing and spacing of vaccine doses, observation of precautions and contraindications, management of vaccine side effects, etc.
Provider's Role: Importance of Vaccine Admin. & Storage
This video highlights Hawaii's 2016 CDC Childhood Immunization Champion Award winner, who demonstrates vaccine storage and handling best practices.
Partner Resources
Find state and local public health immunization program websites by clicking on the map of the United States, using the drop-down menu, or clicking the external link.
State and Local Health Department Immunization Programs
Immunize.org has developed several helpful resources to safeguard your vaccine supply. These include a Vaccine Storage Troubleshooting Record, a Checklist for Safe Vaccine Storage and Handling, Don't Be Guilty of These Preventable Errors in Vaccine Storage & Handling, package inserts, temperature logs, warning signs, and more.
Immunize.org's Storage and Handling Clinical Resources
The NIST Reliable Vaccine Storage Program partners with CDC to study provider-level vaccine storage and temperature monitoring methods to develop best practice guidance for public health audiences.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): Vaccine Storage and Handling Research
This report contains recommendations from the HHS Office of Inspector General, released following a routine assessment of the Vaccines for Children program in 2012.
Vaccines for Children Program: Vulnerabilities in Vaccine Management