Cold chain management

Key messages

• The National Vaccine Storage Guidelines ‘Strive for 5’, 4th edition, provides best practice guidance for vaccine cold chain management.
• ‘Strive for 5’ applies to all health services, including medical practices, hospitals, clinics, aged care facilities, mobile services, and outreach providers.
• Cold chain is the system of transporting and storing vaccine within the range of +2°C to +8°C (strive for +5°C: the midway point).
• A cold chain breach is the exposure of vaccines to light or temperature outside the recommended range of +2°C to +8°C, excluding fluctuations up to +12°C lasting less than 15 minutes.
• All cold chain breaches must be reported to the Victorian Department of Health.
• Refer to Transporting, storing and handling for all COVID-19 vaccines on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.
• Refer to COVID-19 Cold Chain Breach (CCB) reporting form for all COVID-19 vaccine CCBs on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.
• Cold chain management essentials videos and Cold chain management - guidance for providers has been developed to support best practice in cold chain management and ensure compliance with the ‘Strive for 5’.