Working with Providers: Protecting Vaccine to Protect Your Community

Background: It has been estimated that vaccine wastage resulting from improper storage and handling costs the U.S. Vaccines for Children program more than $20 million yearly.  Since vaccines prevent serious, sometimes fatal diseases, the loss can compromise patient health and community protection, affect staff time and patient/provider trust and can  become a liability issue.  Vaccine potency that is compromised by storage and handling mismanagement has required revaccination programs that destroy public trust, are expensive, time-consuming and frequently incomplete.

Setting: Various public health settings including state immunization programs and local providers of immunization services

Population: State immunization program staff, public health practitioners and nurses, physicians and their office staff, local health department staff involved in VFC program

Project Description: This oral presentation will describe the financial and practical costs of vaccine mishandling.  Participants will learn ways to educate providers on roles and responsibilities of protecting vaccine from storage and handling errors.  Participants will be given tools for communicating critical components of effective vaccine storage management plans including emergency planning.  Through interactive worksheets and grantee experiences, participants will be able to communicate the value of vaccines, direct and indirect costs of vaccine wastage and develop a strong case for improved provider equipment and storage practices.

Results/Lessons Learned: Providers who recognize and apply good storage and handling practices support better  prevention of vaccine preventable diseases.  This is essential to maintain public trust, decrease vaccine wastage, prevent unnecessary immunization cost increases and ensure community disease protection.  State immunization programs can be the critical link to improved vaccine management practices through education and "teachable moments" during site visits and implementation of provider correction action plans following mishandling events.