Refrigeration Guidelines for CDC Vaccines

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States provides certain regulations for vaccine storage. These regulations are designed to keep vaccines preserved, effective and safe from the time they are manufactured to the time they are administered to patients. The process of keeping vaccines stored at the right temperature through every step of manufacturing and distribution until they are administered is called the cold chain.

CDC vaccines meet strict storage requirements throughout the length of the cold chain. Labs and healthcare providers should use a medical refrigerator to ensure they are meeting the CDC's guidelines.

Refrigeration Guidelines for CDC Vaccines

According to CDC guidelines, refrigerated vaccines should never be frozen for storage. The only exception is the MMR vaccine. The approved temperature range for storing vaccines is 36ºF to 46ºF, with an ideal temperature of 40ºF. Any out-of-range temperatures should be reported immediately. If vaccines are not stored properly, they pose a major risk to public health. Vaccines may be destroyed by temperatures that are too warm or too cold, risking patient health and immunization integrity.

The CDC also recommends keeping a daily log of the minimum and maximum temperatures, as well as the fridge's current temperature. Some medical refrigerators offer automatic data logging. This is ideal for tracking temperatures accurately and analyzing changes in temperature over time.

Storing Vaccines with Phononic

Phononic's medical grade refrigerators exceed CDC guidelines, making them an excellent option for vaccine storage. They use solid state semiconductor technology as the cooling solution, instead of mechanical compressors, so they deliver tighter temperature uniformity than traditional refrigerators. With Phononic refrigerators, healthcare providers and labs can trust that vaccines are stored at the proper temperature throughout the entire cold chain, boosting patient health and safety. 

Our medical grade refrigerators constantly monitor and adjust their temperature for up to 20X better temperature stability than compressor-based refrigerators, so there are no hot spots or free zones inside the cabinet. Phononic fridges also meet USP<800> guidelines so they are cleanroom ready, without requiring special ventilation or renovations. They are equipped with automated data logging, monitoring and alarm notification management that meets CDC data logging guidelines.