Some guidelines state that a walk-in cooler that stores vaccines can hold its temperature for 3 to 4 hours without being opened during a power failure.
However, what is the actual holdover time, especially in the summer season?
Dear colleagues,
I would appreciate guidance and practical experience regarding holdover time for vaccines stored in a walk-in cooler following a power failure or refrigeration system breakdown.
Specifically, I am interested in the recommended approach for:
- Pentavalent vaccine
- DTP vaccine
- IPV vaccine
- Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)
In particular:
How should the maximum allowable holdover time be determined when the walk-in cooler loses power?
Should vaccine-specific stability data be used, or should decisions be based primarily on the maximum/minimum temperature reached and duration of exposure?
What is the recommended procedure when the temperature remains within +2°C to +8°C during the power interruption?
What should be done if the temperature exceeds +8°C but remains below the vaccine-specific heat stability limit?
Which WHO/UNICEF/EVM guidance or technical documents can be used to support these decisions?
I would particularly appreciate examples from countries or programmes using walk-in cold rooms for routine EPI vaccine storage.Thank you for sharing your technical guidance and field experience.
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