Carefully select and use the proper vaccine storage units to store vaccines.

Have a properly calibrated thermometer or temperature recording device inside each storage compartment.

Use approved vaccine and pharmaceutical refrigerators.

Evaluate your cold chain procedures to ensure that vaccine storage and handling guidelines are being followed.

Inspect vaccines upon delivery and monitor refrigerator and freezer temperatures to assure maintenance of the cold chain.

Rotate vaccine stock so the oldest vaccines are used first.

If errors in vaccine storage and administration occur, take corrective action immediately to prevent them from happening again and notify public health authorities.

2-8 “C pharmacy refrigerator HYC-610 is designed to store pharmaceuticals, medicine, etc. the temperature set range is 2-8 “C.

Scientists in Ottawa say Ontario’s decision to cut $66 million in health research funding is a blow to cancer and heart-disease treatment in Canada.

Last year the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute received $7 million in grants for work using viruses to infect and destroy cancer tumours as well as stem cell research for heart disease.

That grant money was then leveraged to bring in private firms to create the therapies.

Ontario’s Economic Development Minister Brad Duguid said the research money needs to be moved to the Eastern Ontario Development Fund in this part of the province.

“It’s a concern,” said Dr. Duncan Stewart, CEO and scientific director of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. “It was a very important decision and we are very concerned about its impact.”

Dr. John Bell, a senior scientist working on the cancer research, said his researchers needed to conduct more clinical trials and said the loss of funding is disappointing.

“Without that extra funding we can’t really commercialize [the therapies] and really develop them here in Ontario where we want to,” said Bell. “The most important thing as far as I’m concerned is getting the product to people.”

Funds to move to economic development
The institute said the research has created 400 jobs over the last few years. Bell said without continued funding, commercial development will move offshore.

“Having manufacturing facilities here, really putting our stake in the ground and being the world leaders…that’s a very positive thing,” said Bell.

The Ontario government said it needed to free up money to put into programs that have a better track record of creating jobs.

Canada is about to spend billions on new oil sands projects, pipelines, nuclear and fossil-fuel power stations, hydroelectric dams, solar projects, and wind farms. But as we prepare to generate more energy, it makes sense to save energy first.

We need to get serious about energy efficiency.

The global economy is struggling and governments want to create jobs. This is a huge opportunity for Canadian governments to help Canadian families save energy. Making our homes more energy-efficient creates jobs in all communities. For details, see our Five-Part Home Energy Action Plan.

We urgently need to send a clear message to decision makers that it’s time for Canada to save energy first.

To make it easy to manage (some users have over 500 units installed) the Cool-Tel portal allows the devices to be grouped. Normally this would be by location, or by region, but there are no restrictions. Any group can contain any number of Cool-Tel units, and a single unit can be in multiple groups.

After logging in to the portal, the owner can see at a glance the status of all the Cool-Tel groups that have been configured. Groups containing units that have strayed from the limits set are highlighted, inviting the user to click through to the detailed report on each unit.

The database contains every report from the Cool-Tel units, and it is possible to view this data as a table or graphically. The portal makes it easy to look at the overall picture of a group, as well as the temperature history of each sensor individually.

One of the advantages of Cool-Tel is the alert generation and reporting facilities. Once logged in, the authorized user is able to configure an e-mail address and mobile phone to be alerted. The portal allows simple rules to be configured. If temperatures outside the configured range are detected, the nominated people will be contacted.

Advanced users with complex systems may wish to configure more complex rules where different actions take place at different times of day. Switching on reporting is a simple option for each group. With reporting enabled, the portal will regularly examine the data from the group of devices, and compile a report to be e-mailed to the nominated address. The report can be stored as part of an audit record. The Cool-Tel portal maintains a copy of all reports generated for 5 years, and historic reports can be downloaded by authorized users.

For Public Health Services Use
The success of any immunization program is dependent, among other factors, on the effective
vaccine “cold chain” maintenance.
The term “cold chain” refers to all the material, equipment, and procedures used to maintain
vaccines within the required range of +2˚ to + 8˚ C at all times during handling, storage and
transport. Break in the cold chain can result in decreased vaccine effectiveness, undue vaccine
failures, and an increased rate of local reaction after vaccine administration.
Severe weather conditions and other events may disrupt power or otherwise compromise the
“cold chain”. The purpose of this guideline is to provide Public Health staff with information for
vaccine management during such emergencies.
Pre Emergency Preparedness:
1. Identify all alternative storage facilities (hospitals, packing plants, other offices, etc) with
back up power (generator), where the vaccine can properly be stored and monitored for
the duration of the storm. Have agreement with facility/ies for transportation of vaccines
in emergencies.
2. Ensure availability of appropriate packing containers, cold packs, etc.
3. Identify who to call for the following: Equipment problems, back up storage, back up
transportation and security.
4. Develop a communication strategy for vaccine providers to facilitate appropriate action
and minimize vaccine wastage.
5. Prepare a list of emergency phone numbers that may be needed during the emergency
such as:

• Power company
• Temperature alarm monitoring company
• Back up storage facility
• Transport company
• Weather service
• Staff on call
• Manufacturers:
  -Merck
  -Sanofi
  -Shire
  -GlaxoSmith Kline
  -Wyeth

6. Ensure all appropriate staff are knowledgeable about cold chain maintenance, vaccine
packing and transport.
 In Advance of the Event:
When vaccine providers/local Public Health office have reasonable cause to believe that weather
conditions have potential to disrupt power and/or  flood any office that vaccine is stored,
following actions should be taken:
1.  Inform all vaccine providers of actions to be taken prior to impending storm such as but
 not limited to(see also Post Event Preparedness below):
• Document name, expiry date and number of each vaccine in the refrigerator.
• Record refrigerator temperature, time and date.
• Pack the refrigerator vaccine with adequate cold packs and water bottles while
    power is still on.
• Provide instruction about vaccine packing and transport to local storage area (if
appropriate).
• Reinforce not to open the vaccine refrigerator door during power outage until it is
absolutely necessary.
• Document the time and temperature when power returns and again one hour after
power comes on.
• Inform Public Health Services before using any vaccine exposed to cold chain
failure or before returning such vaccines to Public Health Services. 

2. Plan for availability of adequate staff to pack and move the vaccine.
3. Plan for transport of vaccine to the secure storage facility/ies.
4. Inform facility/ies about impending transport of vaccine to their storage area.
5. Pack and transport all vaccines to the back up storage areas. If there are high volumes of
vaccines on hand, prioritize transportation to:
• Vaccines that are more sensitive to heat such as varicella and MMR vaccines,
• More expensive vaccines such as pneumococcal conjugate, HPV,
• Vaccines that may be hard to replace. (ie: rabies, Hepatitis B)
6. Monitor time on route to storage area.
7. Update emergency phone numbers as required and post near vaccine refrigerator.

Post Event:
In the case of a cold chain failure, the following steps must be taken:
1. Do not discard vaccine/s.
2. Store exposed vaccines in a separate container/bag marked “Power Failure” or other
related events, with a record of complete list of products, expiry dates, quantities of each
vaccine, the maximum -minimum temperature exposed to, and the duration of exposure.
If specific time/temperature details are not available, assume the refrigerator
malfunctioned immediately after the power outage and assume that the refrigerator took 2
hours to warm to temperature outside the range +2E to + 8E C.
3. Return the container/bag to the refrigerator or cold box with a high-low thermometer,
until it is determined which product is useable and which must be replaced.
4. Use the 2010 Vaccine Stability Chart to determine whether or not the vaccines can be
used or need to be discarded.
5. Consult with the HPP, CDPC Responsibility Centre if assistance is required with # 4.
6. Once determination is made that these vaccines could be used, mark the products as
being exposed to cold chain break.
7. Use the vaccines exposed to cold chain break down before using any additional vaccine
supplied to you.
8. Do not use the exposed vaccines if another cold chain break down occurs.
9. Document name, number, expiry date of vaccines returned and send to main Public
Health office in the District Health Authority.
10. Inform other Public Health vaccine providers of the steps above (1-7).
11. Document all vaccine loses due to cold chain break down, keeping track of name, expiry
date, quantity and cost for each vaccine.
12. Submit this information to the Provincial Biological Depot.
Assessing Vaccine Stability:
All vaccines must be routinely stored at the temperatures recommended by the manufacturers
and the Canadian Immunization Guide.