Temperature Log for Refrigerator – Fahrenheit

F° DAYS 1–15
For information on storage and handling of COVID-19 vaccines, see the COVID-19 Vaccine Addendum in CDC’s
updated Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/admin/storage/toolkit/index.html.

Month/Year VFC PIN or other ID # Page 1 of 2

Monitor temperatures closely! temps, document current temps twice, at
1. W rite your initials below in “Staff Initials,” beginning and end of each workday.
Facility Name
and note the time in “Exact Time.” 3. Put an “X” in the row that corresponds to
2. If using a temperature monitoring device the refrigerator’s temperature. Take action if temp is out of range – too warm 2. Record the out-of-range temps and the room temp
(TMD; digital data logger recommended) 4. If any out-of-range temp observed, see (above 46ºF) or too cold (below 36ºF). in the “Action” area on the bottom of the log.
that records min/max temps (i.e., the highest instructions to the right. 3. Notify your vaccine coordinator, or call the
1. L abel exposed vaccine “do not use,” and store it
and lowest temps recorded in a specific time 5. After each month has ended, save each immunization program at your state or local
under proper conditions as quickly as possible.
period), document current and min/max month’s log for 3 years, unless state/local health department for guidance.
Do not discard vaccines unless directed to by
once each workday, preferably in the morning. jurisdictions require a longer period. 4. Document the action taken on the attached
your state/local health department and/or the
If using TMD that does not record min/max manufacturer(s). “Vaccine Storage Troubleshooting Record.”

Day of Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Staff Initials
am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm
Exact Time

Min/Max Temp in Unit

(since previous reading)

Danger! Temperatures above 46ºF are too warm! Write any out-of-range temps and room temp on the lines below and call your state or local health department immediately!
46˚F
temperatures

45˚F
44˚F
43˚F
42˚F
Aim for 41 º 41˚F
40˚F
acceptable

39˚F
38˚F
37˚F
36˚F
Danger! Temperatures below 36ºF are too cold! Write any out-of-range temps and room temp on the lines below and call your state or local health department immediately!
Write any out-of-range
action

temps (above 46ºF

or below 36ºF) here:

Room Temperature

If you have a vaccine storage issue, contact your state or local health department for guidance and complete the attached “Vaccine Storage Troubleshooting Record.”
distributed by the Adapted with appreciation from California Department of Public Health
Immunization Action Coalition Saint Paul, Minnesota • 651- 647- 9009 • www.immunize.org • www.vaccineinformation.org www.immunize.org/catg.d/p3037F.pdf • Item #P3037F (8/21)
 Temperature Log for Refrigerator – Fahrenheit
F° DAYS 16 –31
For information on storage and handling of COVID-19 vaccines, see the COVID-19 Vaccine Addendum in CDC’s
updated Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/admin/storage/toolkit/index.html.

Monitor temperatures closely! temps, document current temps twice, at Month/Year VFC PIN or other ID # Page 2 of 2

1. W rite your initials below in “Staff Initials,” beginning and end of each workday.
3. Put an “X” in the row that corresponds to
Facility Name
and note the time in “Exact Time.”
2. If using a temperature monitoring device the refrigerator’s temperature. Take action if temp is out of range – too warm 2. Record the out-of-range temps and the room temp
(TMD; digital data logger recommended) 4. If any out-of-range temp observed, see (above 46ºF) or too cold (below 36ºF). in the “Action” area on the bottom of the log.
that records min/max temps (i.e., the highest instructions to the right. 3. Notify your vaccine coordinator, or call the
1. L abel exposed vaccine “do not use,” and store it
and lowest temps recorded in a specific time 5. After each month has ended, save each immunization program at your state or local
under proper conditions as quickly as possible.
period), document current and min/max month’s log for 3 years, unless state/local health department for guidance.
Do not discard vaccines unless directed to by
once each workday, preferably in the morning. jurisdictions require a longer period. 4. Document the action taken on the attached
your state/local health department and/or the
If using TMD that does not record min/max manufacturer(s). “Vaccine Storage Troubleshooting Record.”

Day of Month 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Staff Initials
am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm
Exact Time

Min/Max Temp in Unit

(since previous reading)

Danger! Temperatures above 46ºF are too warm! Write any out-of-range temps and room temp on the lines below and call your state or local health department immediately!
46˚F
temperatures

45˚F
44˚F
43˚F
42˚F
Aim for 41 º 41˚F
40˚F
acceptable

39˚F
38˚F
37˚F
36˚F
Danger! Temperatures below 36ºF are too cold! Write any out-of-range temps and room temp on the lines below and call your state or local health department immediately!
Write any out-of-range
action

temps (above 46ºF

or below 36ºF) here:

Room Temperature

If you have a vaccine storage issue, contact your state or local health department for guidance and complete the attached “Vaccine Storage Troubleshooting Record.”

distributed by the Adapted with appreciation from California Department of Public Health
Immunization Action Coalition Saint Paul, Minnesota • 651- 647- 9009 • www.immunize.org • www.vaccineinformation.org www.immunize.org/catg.d/p3037F.pdf • Item #P3037F (8/21)
Vaccine Storage Troubleshooting Record Use this form to document any unacceptable vaccine storage event,
such as exposure of refrigerated vaccines to temperatures that are
A fillable pdf of this form is
available at www.immunize.
(check one) □Refrigerator □Freezer □Ultra-Cold Freezer outside the manufacturers’ recommended storage ranges. org/catg.d/p3041.pdf

Date & Time of Event Storage Unit Temperature Room Temperature Person Completing Report
If multiple, related events occurred, at the time the problem was discovered at the time the problem was discovered
see Description of Event below.

Date: Temp when discovered: Temp when discovered: Name:

Time: Minimum temp: Maximum temp: Comment (optional): Title: Date:
Description of Event (If multiple, related events occurred, list each date, time, and length of time out of storage.)
• General description (i.e., what happened?)
• Estimated length of time between event and last documented reading of storage temperature in acceptable range (2o to 8oC [36o to 46oF] for refrigerator; -50o to -15oC [-58º to 5ºF] for freezer; -80o to -60oC [-112º to -76ºF]
for ultra-cold freezer (may be used for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine).
• Inventory of affected vaccines, including (1) lot #s and (2) whether purchased with public (for example, VFC) or private funds (Use separate sheet if needed, but maintain the inventory with this troubleshooting record.)
• At the time of the event, what else was in the storage unit? For example, were there water bottles in the refrigerator and/or frozen coolant packs in the freezer?
• Prior to this event, have there been any storage problems with this unit and/or with the affected vaccine?
• Include any other information you feel might be relevant to understanding the event.

Action Taken (Document thoroughly. This information is critical to determining whether the vaccine might still be viable!)
• When were the affected vaccines placed in proper storage conditions? (Note: Do not discard the vaccine. Store exposed vaccine in proper conditions and label it “do not use” until after you can discuss with your state/
local health department and/or the manufacturer[s].)
• Who was contacted regarding the incident? (For example, supervisor, state/local health department, manufacturer—list all.)
• IMPORTANT: What did you do to prevent a similar problem from occurring in the future?

Results
• What happened to the vaccine? Was it able to be used? If not, was it returned to the distributor? (Note: For public-purchase vaccine, follow your state/local health department instructions for vaccine disposition.)

distributed by the
Immunization Action Coalition Saint Paul, Minnesota • 651- 647- 9009 • www.immunize.org • www.vaccineinformation.org www.immunize.org/catg.d/p3041.pdf • Item #P3041 (8/21)
 Vaccine Storage Troubleshooting Record (check one) ◯Refrigerator ◯Freezer ◯Ultra-Cold Freezer
Use this form to document any unacceptable vaccine storage event, such as exposure of refrigerated vaccines to temperatures that are outside the manufacturers' recommended storage ranges.

Date & Time of Event Storage Unit Temperature Room Temperature Person Completing Report
If multiple, related events occurred, at the time the problem was discovered at the time the problem was discovered
see Description of Event below.

Date: (see below) Temp when discovered: 45º F Temp when discovered: 77º F Name: Natalie Nurse
Time: (see below) Minimum temp: 38º F Maximum temp: 53º F Comment (optional):temp is approx. Title: VFC Coordinator Date: 6/29/21
Description of Event (If multiple, related events occurred, list each date, time, and length of time out of storage.)
• General description (i.e., what happened?)
• Estimated length of time between event and last documented reading of storage temperature in acceptable range (2o to 8oC [36o to 46oF] for refrigerator; -50o to -15oC [-58º to 5ºF] for freezer; -80o to -60oC [-112º to -76ºF]
for ultra-cold freezer (Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine only)
• Inventory of affected vaccines, including (1) lot #s and (2) whether purchased with public (for example, VFC) or private funds (Use separate sheet if needed, but maintain the inventory with this troubleshooting record.)

e
• At the time of the event, what else was in the storage unit? For example, were there water bottles in the refrigerator and/or frozen coolant packs in the freezer?

l
• Prior to this event, have there been any storage problems with this unit and/or with the affected vaccine?
• Include any other information you feel might be relevant to understanding the event.

p
At 8 am on Tuesday (6/29/21) morning when clinic opened , identified 4 temperature excursions over the weekend in refrigerator with readings as
high as 54°, 50°, 49° & 53°F in primary vaccine storage unit #1. Recordings taken every 15 min on calibrated digital data logger overnight. Data

m
logger probe in glycol located in middle of refrigerator with vaccines.
Total time out of range: approximately 3 hrs — maximum temp 53°F (see attached document of continuous temp readings)

a
Inventory of vaccines: see attached

x
Water bottles in refrigerator door. No vaccine stored in freezer. No problems with storage unit prior to Saturday night. Thunderstorms in area over
weekend may have affected power.

E
Action Taken (Document thoroughly. This information is critical to determining whether the vaccine might still be viable!)
• When were the affected vaccines placed in proper storage conditions? (Note: Do not discard the vaccine. Store exposed vaccine in proper conditions and label it “do not use” until after you can discuss with your state/
local health department and/or the manufacturer[s].)
• Who was contacted regarding the incident? (For example, supervisor, state/local health department, manufacturer—list all.)
• IMPORTANT: What did you do to prevent a similar problem from occurring in the future?

Vaccines currently stored appropriately at 41ºF. Refrigerator and vaccines labeled "Do Not Use ."
My State Immunization Program contacted at 8:30 am. Spoke with Victor Vaccine . Provided Victor with details of event and list of vaccines.
Vaccine to remain quarantined until we hear back from Victor.
Called electric company and confirmed 2 short power outages during weekend .
Checked refrigerator seals  called refrigerator maintenance company to replace seals.
Checked plug on unit  placed tape over plug to prevent inadvertent dislodging. Plan to purchase plug guard .
Plan to follow up with Immunization Program on data loggers with alarms that could be sent to coordinator and back-up phones.
Results
• What happened to the vaccine? Was it able to be used? If not, was it returned to the distributor? (Note: For public-purchase vaccine, follow your state/local health department instructions for vaccine disposition.)

Late on Monday, I talked with Victor regarding continued use of vaccine . Victor had checked with manufacturers which confirmed that vaccine is
acceptable for use . He told me that vaccine could therefore be removed from quarantine . I discussed the entire situation with Susie Supervisor and
Dr. Director (clinic medical director) who agreed that we could put vaccine back in use .

distributed by the
Immunization Action Coalition Saint Paul, Minnesota • 651- 647- 9009 • www.immunize.org • www.vaccineinformation.org www.immunize.org/catg.d/p3041.pdf • Item #P3041 (8/21)
 Vaccine Storage Troubleshooting Record (check one) ◯Refrigerator ◯Freezer ◯Ultra-Cold Freezer
Use this form to document any unacceptable vaccine storage event, such as exposure of refrigerated vaccines to temperatures that are outside the manufacturers' recommended storage ranges.

Date & Time of Event Storage Unit Temperature Room Temperature Person Completing Report
If multiple, related events occurred, at the time the problem was discovered at the time the problem was discovered
see Description of Event below.

Date:7/13/2021 Temp when discovered: 28º F Temp when discovered: 77º F Name: Natalie Nurse
Time: 8:00 am Minimum temp: 28º F Maximum temp: 42º F Comment (optional):temp is approx. Title: VFC Coordinator Date: 7/13/21
Description of Event (If multiple, related events occurred, list each date, time, and length of time out of storage.)
• General description (i.e., what happened?)
• Estimated length of time between event and last documented reading of storage temperature in acceptable range (2o to 8oC [36o to 46oF] for refrigerator; -50o to -15oC [-58º to 5ºF] for freezer; -80o to -60oC [-112º to -76ºF]
for ultra-cold freezer (Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine only)
• Inventory of affected vaccines, including (1) lot #s and (2) whether purchased with public (for example, VFC) or private funds (Use separate sheet if needed, but maintain the inventory with this troubleshooting record.)

e
• At the time of the event, what else was in the storage unit? For example, were there water bottles in the refrigerator and/or frozen coolant packs in the freezer?

l
• Prior to this event, have there been any storage problems with this unit and/or with the affected vaccine?
• Include any other information you feel might be relevant to understanding the event.

p
When checked main clinic fridge (in lab) at 8:00 am on Tuesday, 7/13/2021, digital readout on data logger read 28ºF. Data logger located in
center of fridge with probe in glycol . Review of computer readings (taken every 15 minutes) showed steady drop in temps from 42ºF at 8:15 pm

m
(7/12/2021) to 28ºF reading discovered when arrived at clinic on Tuesday morning (7/13/2021). Readings hit 34ºF at 11 pm (7/12) and 32ºF
at 2 am (7/13). Total time out of recommended storage temps = 9 hours, with 6 hours at freezing or below (see attached document of continuous

a
temp readings). Inventory of vaccines attached .
Water bottles in refrigerator door and crisper area. No vaccines stored in freezer. No recent adjustments to temp controls and no previous temp

x
excursions noted with this refrigerator before 7/13.

E
Action Taken (Document thoroughly. This information is critical to determining whether the vaccine might still be viable!)
• When were the affected vaccines placed in proper storage conditions? (Note: Do not discard the vaccine. Store exposed vaccine in proper conditions and label it “do not use” until after you can discuss with your state/
local health department and/or the manufacturer[s].)
• Who was contacted regarding the incident? (For example, supervisor, state/local health department, manufacturer—list all.)
• IMPORTANT: What did you do to prevent a similar problem from occurring in the future?

Upon discovery, vaccines marked “Do Not Use” and stored in 2nd clinic fridge (in exam room #3 at 41ºF ). Also placed “Do Not Use” note on main
fridge in lab. Notified Susie Supervisor about the issue . Contacted Victor Vaccine at My State Immunization Program at 8:30 am. Provided Victor
with details of event and list of vaccines in fridge . Victor said to maintain vaccines in 2nd fridge and that he would check with manufacturers to
determine next steps.
Called Jim’s Appliance Repair to examine fridge . Repairman found and replaced faulty thermostat in unit.
Reset data logger on center shelf in fridge with probe in glycol .
Results
• What happened to the vaccine? Was it able to be used? If not, was it returned to the distributor? (Note: For public-purchase vaccine, follow your state/local health department instructions for vaccine disposition.)

After fridge thermostat repaired , monitored temps in empty fridge for 1 week , per state requirements. Fridge maintained 39º-41ºF temps for entire
week . Submitted repair documentation and data logger readings to Victor Vaccine for approval and ordered replacement vaccines. Victor had checked
with manufacturers who confirmed that all vaccines in fridge EXCEPT MMR were no longer viable and should be returned per state policy
guidelines. MMR may be used because pkg insert allows storage down to -58ºF. Discussed entire situation with Susie Supervisor and clinic
director, Dr. Director, who agreed on continued use of MMR . Will continue to monitor fridge closely to watch for pattern of temp fluctuations
indicating potential problem with thermostat. If problems, contact Victor Vaccine for advice on purchasing new fridge meeting criteria for
appropriate vaccine storage .
distributed by the
Immunization Action Coalition Saint Paul, Minnesota • 651- 647- 9009 • www.immunize.org • www.vaccineinformation.org www.immunize.org/catg.d/p3041.pdf • Item #P3041 (8/21)