Vaccine Vial Monitor (VVM) - technical resources

jon Pearman

VVMs (Vaccine Vial Monitors) are small indicators that adhere to vaccine vials and change color as the vaccine is exposed to cumulative heat, letting health workers know whether the vaccine has exceeded a pre-set limit beyond which the vaccine should not be used. This page provides a list of useful resources on VVMs, organised into the following sections:

What is a VVM?

The following resources introduce the VVM and explain how it works.

TitreAuteurAnnéeTypeLangue
Vaccines work - video explainerTemptime2019TrainingAnglais
What is a vaccine vial monitor (VVM)?Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance2019TrainingAnglais

How to read a VVM

Resources that explain how to read a VVM to determine whether a vaccine can be safely used for immunization.

TitreAuteurAnnéeTypeLangue
Vaccine Vial Monitors (VVM) - Online courseUNICEF2020TrainingAnglais
How does a VVM work?EPELA, World Health Organization (WHO)2020TrainingAnglais
Vaccine vial monitor, PSM LecturesRajeev Ranjan Gupta2017TrainingHindi
How to Read a VVMImmunization Academy2018TrainingAnglais, Haoussa, Swahili, Français
Vaccine vial monitor (VVM)World Health Organization (WHO)2021Poster/infographicAnglais, Portuguais, Russe, Espagnol, Français
Immunization in Practice - Module 2: The vaccine cold chainWorld Health Organization (WHO)2015GuidanceAnglais

VVM training videos for healthcare workers

Videos on how healthcare workers should use VVMs.

TitreAuteurAnnéeTypeLangue
Monitoring the Cold chain: Monitoring Temperatures at health facilitiesImmunization Academy2020TrainingAnglais, Français
Monitoring the cold chain: What Temperatures Should Vaccines Be?Immunization Academy2020TrainingAnglais, Français
Packing for an Immunization SessionImmunization Academy2020TrainingAnglais, Français
What to Do When a Refrigerator Temperature Is Too High or LowImmunization Academy2020TrainingAnglais, Haoussa, Swahili, Français
Monitoring Vaccine Stock: Monitoring Vaccine and Safe-Injection StockImmunization Academy2020TrainingAnglais, Haoussa, Swahili, Français
Vaccine Management: Arranging Vaccines Inside Any RefrigeratorImmunization Academy2020TrainingAnglais, Haoussa, Swahili, Français
Vaccine management: Using Top-Opening Refrigerators Without BasketsImmunization Academy2020TrainingAnglais, Français
Vaccine management: Using Top-Opening Refrigerators With BasketsImmunization Academy2020TrainingAnglais, Français
Vaccine Management: Using Front-Opening RefrigeratorsImmunization Academy2020TrainingAnglais, Français
Using the Multi-Dose Vial PolicyImmunization Academy2020TrainingAnglais, Français, Haoussa, Swahili
Conducting Supervision: Providing on the job trainingImmunization Academy2020TrainingAnglais, Français
Choosing which VVM to dispatch for a lower facilityEPELA, World Health Organization (WHO)2013GuidanceAnglais
TASK - VVM use at the most periphery (outreach)EPELA, World Health Organization (WHO)2013GuidanceAnglais

VVM resources for supply chain managers

Resources that provide guidance for supply chain managers on how VVMs should be utilised by national immunization programs.

TitreAuteurAnnéeTypeLangue
VVM use at the most periphery - Serge GanivetEPELA, World Health Organization (WHO)2013GuidanceAnglais
WHO policy statement: multi-dose vial policy (MDVP): handling of multi-dose vaccine vials after openingWorld Health Organization (WHO)2014GuidanceAnglais, Français
Tools and approaches to ensure quality of vaccines throughout the cold chainJulie Milstien, Umit Kartoglu2014Journal articleAnglais
WHO-UNICEF policy statement on the use of vaccine vial monitors in immunization servicesUNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO)1999GuidanceAnglais, Français
WHO-UNICEF policy statement on the implementation of vaccine vial monitors: the role of vaccine vial monitors in improving access to immunizationUNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO)2007GuidanceAnglais
Vaccine Management Handbook: How to use passive containers and coolant-packs for vaccine transport and outreach operationsWorld Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF2015GuidanceAnglais, Français

VVM in a Controlled Temperature Chain (CTC)

Resources on CTC with reference to VVMs and Peak Temperature Threshold Indicators (PTTI).

TitreAuteurAnnéeTypeLangue
Vaccines beyond the cold chain - Simona ZipurskySimona Zipursky, EPELA, World Health Organization (WHO)2013GuidanceAnglais
Benefits of using vaccines out of the cold chain: Delivering Meningitis A vaccine in a controlled temperature chain during the mass immunization campaign in BeninSimona Zipursky, Mamoudou Harouna Djingarey, Jean-Claude Lodjo, Laifoya Olodo, Sylvestre Tiendrebeogo, Olivier Ronveaux2014Journal articleAnglais
Assessing the potency of oral polio vaccine kept outside of the coldchainSimona Zipursky, Liliane Boualam, Dah Ould Cheikh, Jacqueline Fournier-Caruana, Djabar Hamid, Mathias Janssen, Umit Kartoglu, Genevieve Waeterloos, Olivier Ronveaux2011Journal articleAnglais
Extending supply chains and improving immunization coverage and equity through controlled temperature chain use of vaccinesRaja Rao, Debra Kristensen, Anna-Lea Kahn2017Journal articleAnglais

WHO PQS performance specifications

Resources that provide technical reference material on the science behind VVM.

TitreAuteurAnnéeTypeLangue
[WHO_PQS_E006_IN06.VP.1] Combined VVM and Threshold Indicator Independent type-testing protocolWorld Health Organization (WHO)2020GuidanceAnglais
[WHO_PQS_E006_IN05-VP.4] Vaccine Vial Monitor Independent type testing protocolWorld Health Organization (WHO)2020GuidanceAnglais
[WHO_PQS_E006_IN04.VP.1] Threshold Indicator Independent type-testing protocol World Health Organization (WHO)2020GuidanceAnglais
[WHO_PQS_E006_IN04.1] Threshold Indicators Performance SpecificationWorld Health Organization (WHO)2020GuidanceAnglais
[WHO_PQS_E006_IN05.4] Vaccine Vial Monitor Performance SpecificationWorld Health Organization (WHO)2020GuidanceAnglais
[WHO_PQS_E006_IN06.1] Combined VVM Threshold Indicator Performance SpecificationWorld Health Organization (WHO)2019GuidanceAnglais

Other VVM resources

Journal articles, webinars, and other publications that provide background information on the VVM.

TitreAuteurAnnéeTypeLangue
Vaccine storage and handling practices among routine immunization service providers in a metropolitan city of north-central NigeriaS. A. Aderibigbe, O. I. Musa, M. M. B. Uthman, O. A. Bolarinwa, A. G. Salaudeen , H. A. Ameen2014Journal articleAnglais
Last mile - Umit KartogluUmit Kartoglu, EPELA, World Health Organization (WHO)2013GuidanceAnglais
Cold chain challenges everywhere - Simona ZipurskySimona Zipursky, EPELA, World Health Organization (WHO)2013GuidanceAnglais
The Book of VVM: Yesterday-today-and-tomorrowUmit Kartoglu2020GuidanceAnglais
Using VVM as a stock management toolÜmit Kartoglu2013TrainingAnglais
Vaccine Vial Monitor (VVM)-based vaccine management - Presentation slidesUmit Kartoglu2020PresentationAnglais
Interpretation of VVM in relation to other temperature monitoring devices - Umit KartogluUmit Kartoglu, EPELA, World Health Organization (WHO)2019TrainingAnglais
Vaccine vial monitor availability and use in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic reviewPär Eriksson, Bradford D. Gessner, Philippe Jaillard, Christopher Morgan, Jean Bernard Le Gargasson2017Journal articleAnglais
Vaccine instability in the cold chain: mechanisms, analysis and formulation strategiesKumru OS et al.2014Journal articleAnglais