Vaccine Storage and Cold Chain Failures

To ensure vaccine safety and efficacy and to reduce waste, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care requires health units to annually inspect all premises that store publicly-funded vaccines. This means that healthcare providers’ offices will be visited by an EOHU employee. During this visit, we'll provide you with educational material and support to ensure that your office procedures for handling and storing vaccines are appropriate.

Vaccines must be stored between +2º and +8ºC to maintain their potency. All fridges storing vaccines should be equipped with a minimum-maximum thermometer. A designated person should check and record the vaccine fridge temperature twice daily. All incidents of cold chain failure must be reported to the EOHU. Don't discard exposed vaccines until the situation has been assessed by the EOHU.

Ensuring appropriate storage of vaccines makes certain that the vaccines you're giving are effective in preventing diseases.