What to know
Effective vaccine storage and handling practices depend on knowledgeable, well-trained staff. All staff who receive vaccine deliveries, handle vaccines, or administer vaccines should be trained in general storage and handling practices and be familiar with their facility's storage and handling standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Storage and Handling Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
SOPs help facilities stay organized, serve as a reference and training tool, and support proper vaccine management. They also play a critical role in identifying, reporting, and correcting problems. To ensure SOPs are practical and comprehensive, providers should follow the guidance below.
The Vaccine Storage and Handling SOP Worksheet in the toolkit's Resources section contains additional information to assist with developing these procedures
☑ 🖍 Keep SOPs near vaccine storage units and ensure staff know their location.
☑ 🖍 Review and update SOPs at least annually to confirm accuracy and relevance.
☑ 🖍 Each facility should develop and maintain clearly written, detailed, and up-to-date SOPs for vaccine storage and handling. SOPs should address three main areas:
General Information
- Updated contact lists (e.g., primary and backup vaccine coordinators, vaccine manufacturers, service providers)
- Equipment details (e.g., serial numbers, maintenance records)
- Staff roles and responsibilities
- Commonly used forms
- Documentation of staff training
Routine Storage and Handling Procedures
- Vaccine ordering, receipt, storage, and inventory control
- Stock rotation and management of expired, spoiled, or wasted vaccines
- Use of an appropriate temperature monitoring device and current calibration certificates
- Daily temperature monitoring and recording
- Procedures for temperature excursions
- Vaccine handling and preparation
Emergency Procedures
- Plans to monitor, pack, and transport vaccines in the event of equipment failure, power outages, natural disasters, or other emergencies affecting storage conditions
Available Resource
The Vaccine Storage and Handling SOP Worksheet in the toolkit's Resources section contains additional information to assist with developing these procedures.
☑ 🖍 Keep SOPs near vaccine storage units and ensure staff know their location.
☑ 🖍 Review and update SOPs at least annually to confirm accuracy and relevance.
Staff Roles and Responsibilities
☑ 🖍 Designate a primary vaccine coordinator.
This person will be responsible for ensuring all vaccines are stored and handled correctly and should be an expert on their facility's related SOPs.
☑ 🖍 Appoint a backup (alternate) vaccine coordinator.
This person will act in the absence of the primary coordinator. The backup coordinator, like the primary coordinator, should be an expert on the facility's storage and handling SOPs.
The coordinator's responsibilities may be completed by the coordinator or delegated to appropriately trained staff. Their competency for the specific tasks assigned should be documented.
Coordinator's responsibilities should include
- Ordering vaccines
- Overseeing proper receipt and storage of vaccine deliveries
- Documenting vaccine inventory information
- Organizing vaccines within storage units
- Rotating stock at least weekly, so vaccines with the earliest expiration dates are used first
- Removing expired vaccines from storage units
- Setting up temperature monitoring devices
- 🖍 Checking and recording in temperature logs the minimum/maximum temperatures at the start of each workday
- Reviewing and analyzing temperature data at least weekly to identify any shifts in temperature trends
- Responding to temperature excursions (out-of-range temperatures)
- Maintaining all documentation, such as inventory and temperature logs
- Organizing vaccine-related training and ensuring staff complete training
- Monitoring the operation of vaccine storage equipment and systems
- Overseeing proper vaccine transport
- Preparing for emergencies:
- Tracking inclement weather conditions
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides up-to-date information on U.S. weather conditions including active storms.
- Ensuring appropriate handling of vaccines during a disaster or power outage
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers a wide range of information on disaster preparedness
- The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) offers information concerning the storage and use of temperature-sensitive biological products that have been involved in a temporary electrical power failure or flood conditions.
Staff Training
All staff members who are involved in vaccine management—from receiving shipments to administering vaccines—should be trained in general storage and handling practices and be familiar with their facility's storage and handling SOPs.
VFC providers and others who administer vaccines purchased with public funds should contact their immunization program for state-specific requirements regarding annual training. CDC offers a free training module You Call the Shots: Vaccine Storage and Handling that may fulfill these requirements.
☑ 🖍 Train staff on routine vaccine storage and handling and emergency procedures.
Document all training completed, including dates and participant names.
☑ Ensure storage and handling training is completed at key times:
- 🖍 During new employee orientation (and at the time of VFC provider enrollment)
- 🖍 Annually, as a refresher for all staff involved in vaccine storage and handling activities
- Whenever a new vaccine product is added to the inventory
- Whenever storage and handling requirement are updated (e.g., changes to a package insert)
VFC Reminder
VFC providers and others who administer vaccines purchased with public funds should contact their immunization program for state-specific requirements related to training, policies, and procedures.