Quick Clinical Notes Safety of Vaccines Affected by a Power Outage

I n a major power outage, healthcare providers havemany critical issues to consider and the safety of vac-cines may not be considered a high priority. Vaccines are an important adjunct in preventing infectious diseases and are costly to produce and maintain. For example, the National Immunization Program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has invested $ 150 million to provide and maintain vaccine inventories in the field.1 The CDC urges emergency planners to include methods to minimize the potential loss of vaccines from natural disas-ters and other emergencies. Because multiple products require refrigeration or freezing,2 a power outage presents a significant threat to the safety and efficacy of vaccines. ADVANCE PLANNING Maintaining storage temperatures Certain vaccines do not tolerate temperature extremes and healthcare agencies should have a plan to keep vac