Vaccine Storage: Updates for 2025 Guidelines
The Role of Vaccine Storage in 2025
Vaccines rose to a new level of prominence during the pandemic era of the early 2020s. Throughout that time, vaccine storage faced intense scrutiny, resulting in a renewed emphasis on proper handling, protective storage, and overall safety. In present day, new guidelines continue to emerge and change the vaccine landscape. This article will help keep you informed about the latest guidelines and best vaccine storage practices for 2025.
Proper storage retains the integrity of vaccines, protects patients, and reduces the vaccine waste prevalent in our country. Below is an overview of current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO)—the most trusted sources when it comes to vaccine requirements.
Updated CDC Guidelines
The CDC’s Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit is a comprehensive resource that consolidates best practices for vaccine storage and handling. The latest edition includes specific guidance on managing and storing vaccines, including preparing for emergency situations and training staff. It’s a great resource and a handy reference guide. You can access this resource here.
WHO Recommendations and NSF Vaccine Storage
WHO emphasizes the importance of the vaccine cold chain—a temperature-controlled supply chain essential for preserving vaccine efficacy from manufacture to administration. The standard recommendation is to store vaccines between 2°C and 8°C, with certain vaccines requiring ultra-cold or specialized storage conditions.1 Each vaccine has a recommended temperature range, so be sure to refer to manufacturer guidelines to make sure your vaccines are kept at proper conditions.
Vaccine refrigerators certified to the NSF/ANSI 456 Vaccine Standard are among the highest performing and most trusted units in vaccine refrigeration. Their special construction and temperature consistency requirements makes them an ideal choice to prevent vaccine spoilage and waste.
COVID-19 Vaccine Storage Requirements
With the ongoing distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, specific storage requirements are in place. Here are the current 2025 guidelines for Covid vaccines:
- Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (2024-2025 Formula): This vaccine should be stored between -90°C and -60°C (-130°F and -76°F) until the expiration date. Once thawed, it can be refrigerated between 2°C and 8°C (36°F and 46°F) for up to 10 weeks. It’s important to note that once thawed, the vaccine should not be refrozen.2
- Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (2024-2025 Formula): Specific storage guidelines for this vaccine are detailed in the CDC’s resources.3
The Importance of Temperature Monitoring
Accurate temperature monitoring is the key to protecting your vaccines. The CDC recommends using digital data loggers (DDLs) with detachable buffered probes to measure minimum and maximum temperatures, ensuring they remain within recommended ranges. Regular calibration of these devices is also vital to maintaining their accuracy.4
Staff Training and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Train your staff to properly store and handle vaccines. Adequate training is fundamental to vaccine safety. The CDC advises developing and maintaining clear, detailed, and up-to-date SOPs covering storage and handling, and emergency vaccine storage.5
Emergency Preparedness
Your facility should have a contingency plan for power outages or equipment failures. This includes having a backup vaccine refrigerator and protocols for transporting vaccines to alternative storage facilities if necessary. If your vaccines need to be transported, be sure to securely pack them at proper temperatures to maintain the cold chain integrity.6
Wrapping Up
Staying informed about vaccine guidelines will help ensure that your vaccines remain effective and safe as we navigate 2025 and beyond. If you’re looking for a vaccine refrigerator, ABS offers premium vaccine refrigeration certified to the NSF/ANSI 456 Vaccine Standard.
Visit us at nsf.americanbiotechsupply.com or give us a call at 1-843-821-8010 (Option 3). We’re here to support you on your vaccine storage journey!