The arrival of COVID19 vaccines to healthcare centres triggered a sigh of relief among people. They saw the vaccines as a saviour to relieve them from the clutches of the pandemic. The vaccines also signalled the possibility of the pandemic coming to an end.
But the vaccines have brought with them a challenge--each of them calls for specific temperature environments to stay potent.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued guidelines for properly handling all types of vaccines.
In a new turn of events, the stringent freezing temperature requirements for the Pfizer-BioNTech is now relaxed, and Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine requires only refrigeration.
However, it is essential to keep the vaccines within the specified temperature.
Improper vaccine storage has already caused numerous vaccine damages across the world.
There is a need for preventing such damages. Implementing automated temperature monitoring systems is the best way to avoid damages of vaccines. Simultaneously, accurate and frequent temperature data collection is a critical factor in keeping the vaccines potent.
Why is Automation Beneficial?
In the efforts of preserving the vaccines effectively, the implementation of automated systems will help significantly.
Automated temperature monitoring solutions are based on digital sensors that you can attach to the cold storage unit to collect temperature data transmitted to a centralized system.
The data can be processed through a software application to record the temperature history of vaccines.
The software-based systems also can perform automated reporting to meet regulatory compliance needs. Another advantage of the software systems is the alarm facility, which sends out alerts when the temperature goes out of the prescribed range.
When the internal conditions go out of the set parameters, the alarm system sends out an alert signal that helps the staff take active corrective action.
During the pandemic, which has led to acute staff shortages and revenue slides for healthcare facilities, automated systems can help healthcare facilities to monitor vaccine temperatures accurately and tackle the challenges effectively.
With detailed reporting, automated systems can reduce labour cost associated with manual monitoring and documentation.
Automation also allows the staff to focus on more complex tasks associated with vaccine administration. For example, they can focus more on ensuring the availability of vaccines required for administration.
Another notable benefit of implementing automated systems is reducing human error, which poses a risk to all industries, and the healthcare industry is no exception.
Human errors can cause devastation to the healthcare system. Even human errors in the administrative arm can cause issues, let alone in the clinical care department.
The pandemic has brought many human errors to the healthcare industry, such as reduced staffing, employee fatigue, and high patient volumes.
Automating the temperature tracking systems helps reduce the potential mistakes by automatically sending out alerts and automatically reporting the relevant information.
For example, automated temperature monitoring devices can send out alert signals if a freezer door is left open. In this way, it helps rectify human error.
Implement the best Solution
Ensure every system you implement is CDC vaccine compliant and use temperature probes certified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Automated temperature monitoring systems can provide a temperature history of the stored vaccines. The history helps in ensuring the potency of the vaccines. ,
According to the CDC’s recommendations, you need to use automated solutions that provide detailed information on temperature during vaccine storage and temperature excursions.
There are a variety of solutions available in the market for monitoring temperature ranges. Before you finalize a system for implementation, consider the ranges of temperature you require to monitor. If you plan to upgrade your medical facility in the future, then take into account your future temperature range needs while you purchase an automated temperature monitoring system.
There is an important thing to keep in mind. All sensors that you find in the market can monitor all temperature ranges vaccines require. Some vaccines require ultra-low temperature ranges, for which you need advanced sensors.
You cannot undermine the need for ultra-low temperature seasons despite the adjustment for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine’s storage requirements.
You can now keep the vaccine without damages at standard freezers for up to two weeks. For long-term storage, you need ultra-low temperatures.
Another consideration is the ease of installing the devices. Choose devices that are easy and quick to install.
Ease of installation has become an important consideration, especially in today’s environment where on-site facilities can be complex due to COVID19 precautions.
When you purchase such a device, ensure that the manufacturer gives you detailed instructions and testing options to make the self-installation process simple and effective.
Ensure that you select a temperature monitoring device that provides alerts through emails and SMS.
In addition, ensure that there is a battery-operated power backup system in the temperature monitor device to ensure data collection even during a power failure.
Conclusion
The emphasis on temperature monitoring in healthcare facilities is not new. But it has risen to prominence during the COVID19 pandemic when delicate and temperature-sensitive vaccines required accurate freezing temperatures to remain potent.
Healthcare facilities should implement temperature monitoring devices to preserve their temperature-sensitive items. The devices also protect medicines, blood and lab samples apart from vaccines. While purchasing a device, take your current and future temperature requirements to make the right investment.
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