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Handling Instructions for 2009 H1N1 Vaccine

September 16, 2009, 2:00 PM ET

Vaccine Receipt Information

Upon receipt of the package, the below steps should be followed:

• Inspect the package and contents for damage.
• Review the temperature monitor card in the package IMMEDIATELY.
• If package is damaged or if there are any concerns about vaccine integrity, please call McKesson Customer Service at 877-TEMP123 (877-836-7123) or your state/local immunization program right away.
• If the contents are in satisfactory condition, receive and process documents in accordance with the following procedures.
• Count vials/product and place vaccine in monitored refrigerator immediately.
• If the doses that you have received do not match the packing list, please contact your state/local immunization program right away.

Note: If multiple boxes are received, segregate the vaccine by box. Annotate box and temperature monitors/indicators to identify which temperature monitors (each box will contain a cold monitor and a warm monitor) belong to which box of vaccine. The purpose of this is to be able to identify which vials or sprayers were affected if one of the boxes has become compromised in shipment.

Vaccine Storage Information

• 2009 H1N1 vaccine must be maintained at a temperature of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius (35.6 to 46.4 degrees Fahrenheit). The vaccine must be kept at this temperature at all times.   
• The vaccine MUST NOT BE EXPOSED TO FREEZING TEMPERATURES!  The temperature monitoring device in your refrigerator must have a temperature reading capability to insure the efficacy of the vaccine prior to administration. Temperature monitoring devices should be appropriately calibrated and methods used for calibration should have stated traceability to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. More information on NIST traceability is available.  It is the receiving provider's responsibility to maintain proper storage temperature until vaccine administration. 
• Any refrigerator used for vaccine storage must be dedicated to storage of biologics (i.e., food or beverages should not be stored in vaccine storage units). Refrigerators should have sufficient usable space to store the largest number of vaccine doses expected at one time without overloading. Vaccines stored in combination refrigerator/freezer units should NEVER be stored in areas directly underneath air vents, in deli-crispers/vegetable bins, or in the doors. Bottles of water can be added to these areas to create thermal mass, thus stabilizing refrigerator temperature. Dorm-style refrigerator units (freezer and refrigerator with shared exterior door) provide poor temperature control and often freeze vaccines, therefore should not be used to store vaccines any longer than the length of a clinic for a particular clinical day (i.e., vaccines should not be stored overnight in dorm-style refrigerators).
• The refrigerator storage unit must be electronically alarmed or manually monitored; temperatures should be recorded at a minimum of every 12 hours.
• A record of these readings should be maintained at the location of the vaccine storage unit, for example on the door. Refer to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit for further guidance.