TEMPERATURE MONITORING


Monitoring vaccine temperatures effectively


As efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine continue, key considerations emerge with regards to the vaccine cold chain throughout mass distribution. With 25 years’ experience in electronics engineering, and now specialising in data logging solutions, David Ing, Standard Products manager at Corintech, considers the role that advanced sensors and data loggers could play in the successful delivery of potent vaccines.


The race to supply an effective COVID-19 vaccine is well underway. Pharmaceutical giants across the globe are joining forces in an attempt to develop, test, and manufacture, a vaccine that can bring an end to the greatest global health crisis of our time.1


Even once pharmaceutical


companies have overcome the monumental task of getting an effective vaccine to large-scale production, they are then faced with the challenge of mass distribution across the globe. It is likely that we will need to see the strategic deployment of potentially limited vaccine doses on a scale never witnessed before. If, and when, the vaccine arrives, scarcity of supply is likely to make it highly valuable, and will place great emphasis on the proper handling of doses.


One particular issue to consider is that vaccine potency is highly sensitive to light and temperature. If not properly handled, there is a risk of irreversible damage to the vaccine, causing it to lose


potency and become unfit to administer to a patient. It is absolutely critical that the temperature of any vaccine is closely monitored throughout its cold chain, and that robust reports are maintained to guarantee that only potent vaccines are administered to patients. When a vaccine is as scarce and as valuable as the COVID-19 vaccine is anticipated to be, the importance of this is magnified. The World Health Organization says: ‘Programmable electronic temperature and event logger systems are the best option for primary and subnational stores. Temperature sensors should be placed in every cold room, freezer room, vaccine refrigerator, or vaccine freezer in the store, and directly linked to a central computer-based monitoring point via wired or wireless connections. Central data storage allows temperature records to be analysed electronically, and the system can be configured to produce periodic reports. This is much more efficient than a manual review process.’2


Effective global distribution A wide range of advanced sensors and data loggers is currently available on the market, and it is likely that these types of devices could be pivotal in ensuring that different organisations throughout the vaccine cold chain can effectively distribute potent vaccines across the globe.


What are data loggers?


Data loggers are advanced sensors with the capability of storing data readings. Imagine a vaccine thermometer that checks temperature automatically, and can potentially alert the user to any issues, produce and export reports, and even upload data to a cloud-based system that gives 24/7 access to readings from multiple devices across the globe. The WHO stipulates that no matter how sophisticated a technological system is, this cannot negate altogether the requirement to manually check temperature readings for storage conditions. However, there are specific functions that you can look for that can still reduce workload for staff and strengthen your monitoring system.


Data logging at different stages of the cold chain


Diagram of a Wi-Fi-connected temperature data logger system with cloud-based data storage and device management.


Different data loggers, with differing functionality, will offer different benefits at different points of the vaccine cold chain. One characteristic that organisations should look for in a data logger is alarm functionality. Some devices will have preset limits (normally +2 and +8˚C), while others will allow the user to set custom limits. Generally, customisable limits offer greater flexibility, since not all vaccines will have the same storage recommendations. When temperature limits are breached, the system will trigger some form of alarm – ranging from an LED light indicator, to email notifications sent to an address of the user’s choice. The main benefit is clear and fast notification of temperature issues, allowing prompt remedial action, and the opportunity to correct temperature issues before the vaccines lose their potency.


August 2020 Health Estate Journal 37


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