Cold chain management

A cold chain breach occurs when vaccine temperatures occur outside the recommended range of +2 to +8 °C during vaccine storage or transport.

As a condition to receiving government-funded vaccines, the cold chain management protocol must be followed in accordance with the National Vaccine Storage Guidelines – Strive for 5 (external site) for transporting and storing vaccines.

Providers must immediately advise their WA Health public health unit (Healthy WA) when a cold chain breach occurs  and seek thermal stability advice for other incidents where government-funded vaccines are involved.