The way some vaccines are being stored and handled has developed into a very costly immunisation issue for one Australian state.
There has been a spike in reports of vaccines being mishandled, leading to “expensive” wastage, Victorian health authorities have said.
There were 110 cold chain breaches in the first quarter of 2022, including 11 preventable breaches, according to the state health department.
Cold chain breaches are when vaccines are exposed to light or temperature outside the range recommended by manufacturers.
Many vaccines are damaged or destroyed at temperatures outside these levels.
In its July newsletter, Victoria’s state immunisation unit noted reports of preventable cold chain breaches had increased.
“The Immunisation Unit has received a spike in reports for preventable cold chain breaches, leading to expensive vaccine wastage,” it said.
Common causes were that the vaccine fridge door was left open, the fridge was unplugged and the vaccine was left out of the fridge.
A Victorian health department spokeswoman said it had sent a reminder to immunisation providers after 11 preventable cold chain breaches were reported to the department in April.
Most breaches were linked to primary care/GPs, who are Victoria’s largest providers of immunisations.
The department was unable to reveal the cost of the breaches.
“The cold chain breaches relate to the vaccine stock of the National Immunisation Program, and Victoria is not able to provide costs of spoiled vaccines,” the spokeswoman said.
“There are strong requirements in place for cold chain maintenance and when a breach is reported, we work closely with the provider to ensure all standards are being met, including re-educating staff where needed.”
The cold chain is a system of transporting and storing vaccines within the safe temperature range of between two and eight degrees celsius.
A breach occurs when storage temperatures are outside this recommended range. The optimal storage temperature for vaccines is five degrees celsius.
The cold chain begins from the time the vaccine is manufactured, continues through to the state or territory vaccine distribution centre and immunisation service provider and ends when the vaccine is administered.
Immunisation providers involved in cold chain breaches may have to provide further evidence to ensure they have complied with national vaccine storage guidelines, the department spokeswoman said.
In extreme cases, vaccine supply could be withheld until the immunisation provider shows they have complied.
Originally published as Victoria reports spike in vaccine cold chain breaches
For all the latest Lifestyle News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
