Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit [2026/07]

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit: July 2026 ; Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit: With Key Resources and Addendum for SNS-supplied Jynneos: July 2026
• Corporate Authors:
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (U.S.). National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Immunization Services Division
• Description:
  Proper vaccine storage and handling practices are essential for protecting patients by ensuring product efficacy and quality, preventing unnecessary revaccination, minimizing vaccine wastage, and ensuring a viable vaccine supply. Ultimately, adhering to vaccine storage and handling guidelines helps improve patients' health by preventing disease.
  
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit provides valuable information, guidance, and resources to help providers store and handle vaccines properly. This information also applies to RSV monoclonal antibody products. The toolkit brings together content from manufacturer information, findings from scientific studies, General Best Practices for Immunization, and Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (the "Pink Book").
  
  2026 Key Updates: Introduction: Clarified guidance on how VFC providers should use this toolkit; Added links to CDC's vaccine storage and handling training and related resources.
  
  Section 2: Staffing and Training: Expanded details on standard operating procedures (SOPs) for vaccine storage and handling; Updated guidance on the backup (alternate) vaccine coordinator role.
  
  Section 3: Vaccine Storage and Temperature Monitoring Equipment: Updated information on acceptable vaccine storage units; Revised guidance for storing vaccines with different temperature ranges in the same unit; Added new guidance on temperature monitoring device placement and use; Added new details on Certificates of Calibration Testing; Added alternatives for storing vaccines without their original packaging; Revised guidance on how to handle temperature excursions; and, Clarified CDC's role following temperature excursions.
  
  Section 4: Vaccine Inventory Management: Added guidance on vaccine ordering; and, Added guidance on expiration dates and beyond-use dates.
  
  Section 5: Vaccine Preparation: Added best practices for vaccine preparation; and, Added information on predrawn vaccines.
  
  Resources section: Updated and reorganized tools; moved some content to the Vaccine Storage and Handling Resources website.
  
  Addendum: Updated instructions for storage, handling, and transport of monkeypox vaccine (Jynneos).
  
  Disclaimer: This document provides guidance and best practices on storage, handling, and transport of immunization products and their diluents. It also provides information about Vaccines for Children (VFC) program product storage and handling requirements. Use of trade names and commercial sources in this toolkit is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS), or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
  
  
• Subjects:
  Drug Storage Equipment And Supplies Health Personnel Immunizations Refrigeration Vaccination Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Vaccines
• Keywords:
  Cold Chain Inventory Management Temperature Monitoring Vaccine Handling Vaccine Preparation Vaccine Storage Vaccine Transport
• Publisher:
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (U.S.)
• Document Type:
  Text
• Name as Subject:
  Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program
• Genre:
  Toolkit
• Place as Subject:
  United States
• Rights:
  Public Domain
• CIO:
  National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD)
• Division:
  ISD - Immunization Services Division
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  41 pdf pages
• Collection(s):
  Public Health Resources
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c9e915afd9d84533e0ed568384efe6c20e2d8a4acc1976ac2c602a09cf1ac02d6b3bdf4d7425fbbdd0e13d705637899ad954c5faa23c078c696d80e491c879ff
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/258326/cdc_258326_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.52 MB ]