Cold Chain

Management
Reg. No.201325201
Department of community medicine
Govt. Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai - 10

Objectives
Define cold chain.
Explain the importance of cold chain
List the components of cold chain equipment
Differentiate between heat & freeze sensitive
vaccines.
Apply the principle of cold chain in arranging the
vaccines according to their order of storage.
Distinguish between different stages of the
Vaccine vial monitor.

Cold chain - Definition

System of storage & transport of vaccines
At low temperature
From the manufacturer site actual vaccination
site

Importance of cold chain

Vaccines are temperature sensitive biological
products.
Vaccine failure
Occurrence of Vaccine preventable diseases
among populations with adequate immunization
coverage
Essential for the success of National
Immunization programme.

Functional cold chain

Right
vaccine
Right
cost

Right
conditi
on

6
Righ
ts
Right
time

Right
quantit
y

Right
place

Cold chain - Components

Walk-in cold
rooms
Storage

Deep freezers
Ice-lined
refrigerators

Cold chain

Cold boxes

Transport

Vaccine
carriers
Day carriers
Ice packs

Cold chain -Storage

1. Walk in cold rooms:
At regional level
Storage up to 3 months

2. Deep freezers:
District & PHC levels
Temp. -15oc to -25oc
At PHC, used only for
the preparation of ice packs

3. Ice lined refrigerators(ILR)

Both at district and PHC levels
Temp :- +2oc to +8oc
ILRs are have the door at the top
for holding cold air inside better than
front opening refrigerators

Cold chain- transport

1. Cold boxes:
For vaccine transport
Fully frozen ice packs placed
at the bottom & sides
2. Vaccine carriers:
Carry small quantities of vaccine
(15-20 vials)
Out reach sessions
4 Ice packs kept inside

3. Day carriers
6-8 vials of vaccine
Nearby sessions
2 Ice packs
2 hours period

Heat sensitive vaccines

OPV
Measles, MR, MMR
DPT, DPT+Hep B, DPT+Hib, DPT+
HepB+Hib , Yellow fever
BCG
DT, Hib

TT , Td, hep B, JE

Freeze sensitive vaccines

Hep B
Hib liquid
DPT, DPT+HepB, DPT+Hib,
DPT+HepB+Hib
DT,

TT

Storage of vaccines in ILR

Arrange the vaccines

Hep B
TT, DPT
BCG
Measles
OPV

Vaccine vial monitor

Key indicator during storage & transport
Whether individual vials are exposed to
excessive heat
Ensures that heat-damaged vaccines are
not administered
Does not measure exposure to freezing
temperatures

How to read a VVM?

Stages
1
2
3
4

Summary
Cold Chain Definition
Importance
Components of cold chain equipment
Heat & freeze sensitive vaccines
Storage order in ILR
Vaccine vial monitor

References
Parks Textbook of Preventive and Social
Medicine, 23rd edition.
Immunization handbook for Medical
officers,
Published by Department of Health and
Family Welfare, Government of India.

Thank You