Purssell Edward
Senior Lecturer, King's College, London, England.
Br J Community Nurs. 2015 Oct;20(10):481-6. doi: 10.12968/bjcn.2015.20.10.481.
Vaccination is an effective public health measure to prevent and control a number of infectious diseases. However, since vaccines are biological products and are sensitive to both heat and cold, they need to be maintained within a narrow range of temperatures, often referred to as the 'cold-chain'. This range, which is between +2°C and +8°C with a target +5°C, does not allow for refreezing or storage at room temperature. This paper discusses the importance of the cold chain, what should be done both to maintain it, and the actions to be taken, should a break be noted. It is important to note the product information supplied with vaccines, which is taken from the summary of product characteristics that forms part of the licensing requirements for each vaccine, and which will state how it should be stored. Using a vaccine that has not been stored according to these instructions constitutes off-label use, for which the individual practitioner must take responsibility. It also emphasises the fragile nature of many public health interventions, maintenance of which require constant vigilance and close cooperation between many groups and individuals.
疫苗接种是预防和控制多种传染病的一项有效公共卫生措施。然而，由于疫苗是生物制品，对热和冷都很敏感，它们需要在一个较窄的温度范围内保存，通常称为“冷链”。这个范围是2°C至8°C，目标温度为5°C，不允许再次冷冻或在室温下储存。本文讨论了冷链的重要性、维持冷链应采取的措施以及发现冷链中断时应采取的行动。必须注意疫苗附带的产品信息，这些信息取自产品特性摘要，而产品特性摘要是每种疫苗许可要求的一部分，其中会说明疫苗应如何储存。使用未按照这些说明储存的疫苗属于超说明书用药，个体从业者必须对此负责。本文还强调了许多公共卫生干预措施的脆弱性，维持这些措施需要许多团体和个人不断保持警惕并密切合作。
