Strive for 5

Strive for 5 – The National Vaccine Storage Guidelines

If you are storing vaccines or you are looking at purchasing a new vaccine fridge then it is highly recommended that you obtain, read and comprehend Strive for 5: The National Vaccine Storage Guidelines which provides information and advice for vaccine storage management. Strive for 5 was written to assist all Australian immunisation service providers, from medical practices to large hospitals, clinics and outreach clinics.

The publication’s title refers to Strive for 5 degrees Celsius (°C) – that is, the point midway between +2°C and +8°C which is the temperature range recommended for vaccine storage. Many vaccines are damaged or destroyed at temperatures that fall outside of this range.

These guidelines:

• Describe the best approach to ensure that clients receive effective and potent vaccines

• Describe the ‘cold chain’ and provide advice on what should be done in the event of a cold chain breach

• Includes useful resources such as checklists, charts, posters and stickers

• Applies only to purpose-built vaccine refrigerators.  As per Section 3.1, 5 and 8.3, domestic refrigerators may no longer be used for the storage of vaccines.

•  Although these guidelines are copyrighted, they may be freely reproduced for non-profit purposes, provided the source is acknowledged.

 

This document outlines the basic principles for safe vaccine management. It is a concise, practical and user-friendly guide to vaccine storage. It is aimed at all Australian vaccination service providers. Every medical practice, community pharmacy and outreach clinic should have a copy of Strive for 5 on hand, and everybody who deals with the receival, storage and distribution of vaccines should be familiar with it.

Strive for 5 can be downloaded or purchased from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, or alternatively you may download the document here: National Vaccine Storage Guidelines: Strive for 5