As general practices commence their COVID-19 vaccinations and severe weather and flooding affect our region, vaccine delivery and rollout logistics continue to be a challenge. This is a friendly reminder of what to check when receiving and accepting COVID-19 vaccine deliveries.
Please check the following:
- Review the box packaging, check for signs of damage or tampering.
- Check you are receiving the right amount of vaccines for your clinic.
- Unpack boxes to review the cold chain indicators.
- Check the bricks are cool.
- Check the vaccines are cool to touch and visually inspect the internal contents of the package (AstraZeneca vaccine is colourless to slightly brown, clear to slightly opaque and should not contain visible particles).
- Take photos when opening the boxes for a record, including the cold chain indicators.
If there is an issue with your delivery, in the first instance please contact the Vaccine Operations Centre (VOC) on 1800 318 208 immediately (within two hours of delivery). For non-urgent enquiries, email: [email protected]
Please note: It is critical that cold chain storage is maintained at all times . A cold chain breach could occur during stock acceptance, stock management or on-site day to day. Any stock believed to be affected by a cold chain breach should be immediately quarantined in 2-8°C refrigeration, and the VOC should be notified. Do not use. Request data logging for the boxes if available. The VOC will provide advice on the use of the stock following receipt of the incident details.
For further practical support and resources on cold chain management, visit our Primary Care Impact page Improve cold chain management of vaccines.
Please contact your Primary Health Coordinator for further assistance.