Validation of the shake test for detecting freeze damage to adsorbed vaccines

Kartoğlu, Ümit; Özgüler, Nejat Kenan; Wolfson, Lara J.; Kurzątkowski, W

doi:10.2471/blt.08.056879

Cited by 44 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…When a low alarm is triggered, there is a high risk that vaccines would have lost their potency from exposure to excessive freezing temperatures. The control protocol is to conduct the “shake-test” when possible [12] .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing the loss of vaccines from accidental freezing in the cold chain: The experience of continuous temperature monitoring in Tunisia

Lloyd¹,

Lydon

Ouhichi³

et al. 2015

Vaccine

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Accidental freezing of vaccines is a growing threat and a real risk for national immunization programs when the potency of many vaccines can be compromised if these are exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the cold chain. In Tunisia, this issue is compounded by using sub-standard domestic cold chain equipment instead of equipping the program with medical refrigerators designed specifically for storing vaccines and temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals. Against this backdrop, this paper presents the findings of a demonstration project conducted in Tunisia in 2012 that tested the impact of introducing several freeze prevention solutions to mitigate the risk of accidental freezing of vaccines. The main finding is that, despite the continued use of underperforming domestic refrigerators, continuous temperature monitoring using new technologies combined with other technological interventions significantly reduced the prevalence of accidental exposure to freezing temperatures. These improvements were noticed for cold chain storage at regional, district and health center levels, and during the transport legs that were part of the demonstration conducted in the regions of Kasserine in the South-Eastern part of Tunisia. Subsequent to introducing these freeze prevention solutions, the incidence of freeze alarms was reduced and the percent of time the temperatures dropped below the 2 °C recommended threshold. The incidence of freeze alarms at health center level was reduced by 40%. Lastly, the solutions implemented reduced risk of freezing during transport from 13.8% to 1.7%. Although the solution implemented is not optimal in the longer term because domestic refrigerators are used extensively in district stores and health centers, the risk of accidental freezing is significantly reduced by introducing the practice of continuous temperature monitoring as a standard. The management of the cold chain equipment was strengthened as a result which helps protect the potency of vaccines to the areas of most difficult access.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing the loss of vaccines from accidental freezing in the cold chain: The experience of continuous temperature monitoring in Tunisia

Lloyd¹,

Lydon

Ouhichi³

et al. 2015

Vaccine

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“…The recorder used is a datalogger that records temperatures every 30 minutes. The DPT vials passed a shake test 14 -indicating they had never been frozen -before they were placed in the boxes.…”

Section: Test Boxesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Frequent exposure to suboptimal temperatures in vaccine cold-chain system in India: results of temperature monitoring in 10 states

Murhekar

Dutta

Kapoor

et al. 2013

Bull. World Health Organ.

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“…Keeping them too cold can damage them as much as keeping them too warm. Studies have detected that 14-35% of refrigerators have exposed vaccines to freezing temperatures [13]. Only 29% out of 70 countries manage to keep their temperature controls at the minimum recommended standards [5] and the waste of vaccines in developing countries amounts to 151 million vaccines due to improper refrigerating [14].…”

Section: The Project Sensor Networking and Raspberry Pi In Humanitarimentioning

confidence: 99%

A Raspberry in Sub-Saharan Africa? Chances and Challenges of Raspberry Pi and Sensor Networking in Humanitarian Logistics

Schumann-Bölsche

Schön

2015

Procedia Engineering

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This paper addresses the chances and challenges of humanitarian logistics in Sub-Saharan Africa with a special view on the application of single-board computers -such as the Raspberry Pi -in combination with sensor networking. In this connection the paper deals with the following questions: Which special circumstances in and challenges for Sub-Saharan Africa need to be considered? How can humanitarian logistics contribute to enhance the supply of people in need with food and medicines? Are Raspberry Pi or other single-board computers and their integration into sensor networks adequate solutions for humanitarian logistics and the supply of food and medicines in Sub-Saharan Africa?

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Validation of the shake test for detecting freeze damage to adsorbed vaccines

Cited by 44 publications

References 10 publications

Reducing the loss of vaccines from accidental freezing in the cold chain: The experience of continuous temperature monitoring in Tunisia

Reducing the loss of vaccines from accidental freezing in the cold chain: The experience of continuous temperature monitoring in Tunisia

Frequent exposure to suboptimal temperatures in vaccine cold-chain system in India: results of temperature monitoring in 10 states

A Raspberry in Sub-Saharan Africa? Chances and Challenges of Raspberry Pi and Sensor Networking in Humanitarian Logistics

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