If you handle flu vaccine at any of our wellness events, you’re responsible for that vaccine as long as it’s in your possession. For some people that might mean your vaccine responsibility starts and ends while you administer the shot at a flu clinic. For primary contractors, the responsibility extends to receiving, transporting and shipping vaccine.

Regardless, if you plan to handle flu vaccine, it’s important to know the environmental factors that can play a role. One of those is temperature.

If flu vaccine is kept at too cold or too warm a temperature, its effectiveness is reduced. Experts recommend vaccine be stored at 36°F - 46°F (2°- 8°C).

The cold packs with which vaccine was shipped to you have the potential to bring vaccine below that range, or even to freeze it. That would damage the vaccine, and you wouldn’t be able to use it for your event.

To avoid vaccine damage by cold packs, it’s important that you condition the cold packs before using them to store, transport or ship flu vaccine. It’s not difficult to condition cold packs, but it does take a bit of preparation.

To Condition Cold Packs:

Conditioning cold packs involves letting them defrost for a short time before using them.

Please remove cold packs from the freezer one to two hours before you plan to use them with vaccine. Allow them to sit at room temperature for one to two hours.

When the edges of the cold packs have begun to defrost, and you notice the packs are “sweating” (or have condensation on them), they are conditioned and safe to use.

Conditioning cold packs is a very simple step to take to help ensure proper vaccine temperature. It’s not a difficult process, but it is important to remember. Please plan far enough in advance that the cold packs can sit at room temperature long enough before being placed with vaccine.

What questions do you have about proper vaccine temperature or conditioning cold packs for use with flu vaccine?