With the Covid-19 booster becoming available to the masses, distributors need to consider how It can be handled, distributed, and stored long-term in line with the rising demand.
At CRS, our experience within the pharmaceutical industry enabled us to design and build a range of storage solutions for the effective handling of vaccines which retained their efficacy. The booster vaccine is an additional dose of a vaccine given when the original doses’ protection has begun to decrease.
Whilst this means booster vaccines can be stored in the same way to regular vaccines, there are a few different types, each with its own individual storage requirements.
What are the storage requirements of each vaccine?
According to The Specialist Pharmacy Service, the storage requirements of each vaccine are as follows.
Pfizer BioNTech
- During storage, reduce any exposure to room light and avoid direct sunlight or UV light
- A Maximum shelf life of 9 months when stored in a freezer from -80°C to -60°C
- After the vaccine has been thawed it can last 31 days at 2-8°C (it must be assigned immediately once removed from freezer).
- The vaccine cannot be re-frozen once thawed.
- Once it has been removed from the fridge, it can be stored between 2°C to 25°C, once diluted it may be stored between 2 to 25°C for a further 6 hours.
AstraZeneca Vaccine
- Maximum shelf life is 6 months when stored in a refrigerator between 2 to 8°C
- Once removed from the fridge the vaccine may be stored between 2 to 25°C for up 6 hours
- Once punctured, the vial must be used within 6 hours
- It must not be frozen
- During storage, keep vials in the outer carton to protect from light
Moderna Vaccine
- It has a maximum shelf life of 7 months stored in a freezer at -25°C to -15°C
- Do not store on dry ice or below -40 ºC
- Store maximum 30 days at 2 to 8°C after thaw (assign immediately after removing from freezer)
- Once removed from the fridge the vaccine may be stored between 8 to 25°C for up 24 hours
- Once punctured, the vial must be used within 6 hours
- Once thawed, the vaccine cannot be re-frozen
- During storage keep vials in outer carton to protect from light
CRS Pharma Vaccine Range
The Vaccine Storage Range are a purpose-built range to meet the requirements of major vaccines, Pfizer and BioNTech, Oxford and AstraZeneca and Moderna.
As a result, the storage range can effectively handle temperatures from +8 to -70˚C allowing for CRS Pharma’s Vaccine Storage to cater for current and upcoming boosters.
Transporting the booster vaccine whilst maintaining its temperature and efficacy can be a difficult task and significant consideration needs to be taken over the next few months when planning your booster roll out.
The vaccine will often need transporting to different facilities such as laboratories, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies before the dosage is given to a recipient. This supply chain is a national and international effort that adds further logistical challenges and strains on boosters’ smooth delivery.
CRS Pharma Vaccine Store Range
CRS Pharma
CRS Pharma boasts a highly efficient and experienced team that are able to design bespoke solutions for improving the efficiency of our client’s vaccine storage.
With two decades of experience in helping clients create an effective cold chain with our cold storage, we have seen businesses across the pharmaceutical industry achieve growth and sustain a more efficient logistical process.
A cold chain is a process of preserving the required temperature of products at which they remain viable from their manufacturing through to the end of the distribution chain.
CRS Pharma is an industry-leading supplier that provides an array of different cold storage products with varied specifications to meet direct handling needs. Having created and designed solutions throughout the Ebola crisis as well as COVID-19 we have significant experience in vaccine handling solutions.
Ebola Vaccine Storage Solutions.
If you would like more information on how the CRS Vaccine Stores can help facilitate your booster distribution process, get in touch with our team of experts today.
