When people think of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, one of the first thoughts or questions usually concerns the extremely low temperature requirements to maintain the vaccine’s potency. But, how can you really know if you’re doing a good job in preserving the vaccines’ potency?
Per the CDC temperature requirements, Pfizer vaccines will be shipped and arrive at a storage facility between -80°C and -60°C (-112°F to -76°F) in a thermal shipping container with dry ice. In order to monitor the extreme temperatures, loggers and thermometers built for these extreme temperatures are required.
The CDC recommends three options for storing the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines. First, the vaccines may be stored in an ultra-cold freezer between -80°C and -60°C (-112°F and -76°F) up to the expiration date. The second storage option is in a thermal shipping container. The appropriate temperature must be maintained by adding dry ice to the container per the manufacturer’s guidance. The third option is to refrigerate between 2°C and 8°C (36°F and 46°F)—but only up to 5 days (120 hours).
In order to monitor temperature thresholds during Pfizer vaccine shipping and storage, data loggers and thermometers built for these extreme conditions are required. But, not all loggers are designed for such temperature monitoring in these conditions. DeltaTrak has released customized vaccine temperature monitoring solutions that meet the Pfizer temperature profile required for transport, storage and handling of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccines. These loggers will help provide the best monitoring available to ensure that you are preserving the vaccines’ potency by transporting and storing at the required temperatures.
What are some of the key considerations in choosing the best logger for monitoring your Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines? First, the logger must be able to work well between -80°C and -60°C for vaccines in transit and when the vaccines are stored in a freezer. Next, do you need a logger or thermometer? Is the monitoring product for transport or storage? Does it matter if you have a 2-year ISO 17025 Calibration Certificate? Are the loggers compatible with CDC or WHO Guidelines? What are your software requirements? DeltaTrak’s solutions should help to answer these questions. You can also watch the news video on "The Challenge of Shipping a Covid Vaccine at Sub-Freezing Temperatures."
February
23
2021
Category: Blog, Life Science