Vaccine storage is essential to the effective function of any vaccine. Avoiding the rules of vaccine storage leads to vaccines that do not work and people who become very sick or die. As a doctor, you want to avoid these tragedies, but you also need places that will store vaccine lots as they should be stored. Before you start looking for vaccine storage services, make sure the storage units follow these key vaccine storage rules:

Use ONLY Temperature-Controlled Storage

Most vaccines are extremely sensitive to temperature fluctuations. Some require continuous cold storage, too. Know what your vaccines need, and put them in the correct temperature-controlled storage facility. Make sure that the storage area is a consistent fifty to sixty degrees unless otherwise specified on the bottles. If you need refrigerated storage, check to make sure the units are cold enough for the vaccines.

Do NOT Store Vaccines Near Any Mold

Vaccines are often derivatives of diseases cultivated in Petri dishes. When the vaccines come into contact with mold, they should be considered contaminated and thrown away. That is thousands' of dollars of vaccines wasted. You can avoid that by making sure the storage units you rent for your vaccines are completely sanitized and mold-free.

Make Sure the Storage Units Have Top-Notch Security

If your vaccine storage does not have locked facilities with security guards and CCTV security cameras, do not store your vaccines there. 

Storing vaccines without adequate security can result in:

• Stolen vaccines
• Intentionally contaminated vaccines
• Smashed vaccine vials
• Vaccine vials replaced with saline-filled vials

...and a host of other really bad and potentially lethal events.

Be Present Every Time You Request a Shipment of Vaccines from Your Storage

It is very important that your vaccine storage unit be as close to you as possible. You should be present to unlock the unit, verify that the vials have been safe and stored at the proper temperature, and sign for your shipment of vaccines to be transferred from your unit to a truck. This prevents any likelihood of improper shipping and handling of the vaccines and any breaking and entering charges of your storage unit without your permission since you are right there to open it.

If you have to store vaccines farther away, make sure you can still get to that location within a couple of hours and not a day or two. When the vaccines are vital to your patients' health, you can make it a priority to get the vaccines from your unit personally. That ensures that your patients will get the best medicine and treatment possible.