NSF456-Vaccine Storage: A New Standard Detailing Requirements for Vaccine Cold Storage

 

In a time when there is global urgency around producing and deploying as many COVID-19 vaccines as possible to help control the spread of SARS-CoV-2, vaccine wastage still greatly impacts supply. The World Health Organization estimates that as much as 50% of vaccines are wasted every year partly due to incorrect storage temperatures.

Keeping a vaccine’s cold chain — the temperature-controlled vaccine supply chain from production through administration — within the validated temperature range ensures its effectiveness. When exposed to temperatures outside of the proper range, vaccines can quickly become ineffective. The entire batch must then be discarded, resulting in loss of time, resources, and potentially public confidence.

To prevent such scenarios, NSF International brought together a committee of experts to define performance standards for vaccine refrigerators and freezers that would help providers select the best products to minimize wastage. The committee included representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state health department immunization programs, nonprofit organizations, and vaccine storage equipment manufacturers, including Thermo Fisher Scientific.

In this webinar, you’ll learn about the NSF/ANSI 456 – Vaccine Storage guidelines that the group developed based on the analysis of data from real-life usage within clinics, pharmacies, and vaccination sites.

Learning Objectives: