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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Mary A. Mulholland, MA1, Andrew Chilkatowsky, BA1, Robert Levenson, MBA1, and James Lutz, MPA2. (1) Division of Disease Control, Immunization Program, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, 500 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19146, 215-685-6853, mary.mulholland@phila.gov, (2) Divison of Disease Control, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, 500 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146
BACKGROUND: Vaccines are temperature-sensitive; refrigerated vaccines are optimally stored at 2 - 8 degrees C (35 - 46 F), and frozen varicella vaccine must be stored at -15 degrees C (5 F) or colder. The Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program provides federally funded vaccine at no charge to private medical care providers, for the immunization of eligible children aged 0 - 18 years. In Philadelphia, VFC-enrolled providers submit vaccine storage temperature logs with all vaccine orders. METHODS: Between January and March 2001, the Philadelphia VFC Program sent trained Disease Surveillance Investigators (DSIs) to inspect vaccine storage at 342 VFC provider sites. These sites had previously certified that they had freezers adequate for varicella vaccine storage. RESULTS: Of 342 VFC provider sites inspected, 25 (7%) were closed or no longer seeing VFC-eligible children, 232 (68%) had freezers adequate for Varivax storage, and 85 (25%)did not have freezers adequate for vaccine storage. Expired and spoiled refrigerated vaccines were retrieved from 95 sites (28%); expired and spoiled varicella vaccine was retrieved from 62 sites (18%). Total cost of all expired and spoiled vaccine was $246 thousand. CONCLUSION: Self-monitoring of vaccine storage by VFC providers leads to poor vaccine storage and costly vaccine wastage. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1. Describe the proper conditions for vaccine storage. 2.Implement vaccine storage and handling procedures to minimize vaccine loss and preserve vaccine efficacy. 3. Implement procedures at a programmatic level to reduce or eliminate vaccine loss in VFC provider sites.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Immunizations, Quality Assurance
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.