No images? Click here Extreme weather warnings: Protect your vaccines Dear Pharmacy, With flood warnings in areas surrounding Sydney, power outages can be more common. To check emergency evacuation orders see NSW SES; weather conditions see Bureau of Meteorology; planned and unplanned power outage areas, see Ausgrid. Ensuring your pharmacy is prepared in the event of a power outage It is important that all staff are aware of your pharmacy’s cold chain back-up plan for power outages and are familiar with protocols for cold chain breaches. Review the following checklist to ensure your pharmacy and staff are prepared. Checklist
Equipment All pharmacies MUST have one of the following alternative vaccine storage options in the event of a power failure. The alternative storage must have the capacity to store ALL vaccines currently held in your vaccine fridge(s):
If your pharmacy experiences a cold chain breach: 1. For COVID-19 vaccines: Contact the Vaccine Operations Centre (VOC) Vaccine Operations Centre (VOC): 1800 318 208 COVID19VaccineOperationsCentre@Health.gov.au The VOC hours of operation are between 7.00 am to 10.00 pm AEST (Currently 9pm) 2. For other vaccines: Contact the vaccine manufacturer For private vaccines, contact the vaccine manufacturer for advice. Is your fridge affected by a power outage? Check your vaccine fridge:
If your vaccine fridge went above 8°C: (with the exception of a brief rise in temperature up to 12°C for less than 15 minutes)
Contacting the Primary Health Network (PHN) If you need any assistance, guidance or resources on cold chain management, please contact the Immunisation team at Central and Eastern Sydney PHN on 1300 986 991, option 3. Immunisation team Central and Eastern Sydney PHN |