Storage Unit Reminder

Vaccines can only be stored in certain acceptable storage units. Your vaccine storage unit is a key component in maintaining the vaccine cold chain at your practice.

Your vaccine storage units must:

• Consistently maintain storage temperature.
• Have enough space to properly store vaccines throughout the year including back to school and flu season.
• Have separate external doors for refrigerator and freezer.
• Have Do Not Unplug stickers at the outlet, on unit, and on the circuit breaker.
• Order Do Not Unplug stickers here.

All units must be plugged directly into a dedicated wall outlet. Units cannot be plugged into:

• GFI/GFCI outlets (specialized outlets with a built-in breaker, may have reset buttons)
• Outlets that can be activated by a wall switch
• Extension cords, power strips, surge protectors
• Ensure that the unit, plug, and circuit breaker on the electric panel are clearly labeled to prevent accidental loss of power.

Selecting a unit to store your vaccines in is an important decision.

Purchasing a unit that is reliable and accurate up-front is a worthwhile investment, both in time and money, for your practice. The time needed to respond to out of range temperatures and the cost of reimbursement for wasted vaccines can be very burdensome for practices whose unit does not maintain in-range temperatures.

To ensure that the unit that you are considering is the best option for your clinic, email our program at TempCheck@phila.gov so that we can offer insight on the units that are being considered based on other providers experiences with a brand, the typical supply on hand at your practice, and other considerations based on the CDC recommendations for storage units.