If you work a TotalWellness flu event, there are a couple different types of vaccine the client might’ve ordered. One of those is a multi-dose vial.
Multi-dose vials are the traditional form of vaccine in which the vaccine is stored in a vial that contains about ten doses worth of flu vaccine. As the nurse administering the shot, you’ll need to draw up the correct dose from the vial.
At corporate wellness events, however, participants don’t always come in multiples of ten. You could end an event with some vaccine left in an open vial. That’s what we call a partial vial. It’s a vial partially filled with vaccine.
If you are working other TotalWellness flu shot events, you can keep partial vials to use later on if and only if:
- The vaccine has been handled properly and the cold chain was maintained.
- It is not past the vaccine’s Beyond Use Date (BUD).
- It is the same type of flu vaccine ordered by the client. (Quadrivalent vs. Trivalent)
If you do have partial vials left, and you choose to keep them for your next event, there are a few steps you’ll need to take to ensure you’ve handled the vaccine properly and it will be safe to use.
Step 1: Label the partial vial with your initials.
Step 2: Label the vaccine with the BUD "Beyond Use Date" (based on the package insert).
Step 3: Maintain the proper cold chain the entire time the vaccine is in your possession (see the TotalWellness contractor manual, or this blog for further details on the cold chain).
Step 4: Use vaccine from the partial vial first at your next event.
If you’re not scheduled to work any other TotalWellness events before the partial vial’s BUD, you cannot keep the vaccine. You’ll need to send those partial vials back to us. Be sure you pack and ship them properly!
Keeping and properly utilizing partial vials is an excellent way to avoid wasting flu vaccine. If you have partial vials left after a flu event, and you’re not sure whether or not it’s okay to keep them, just give us a call and we can walk you through it!
What questions do you have about the use of partial vials at your next flu shot clinic?
