title: Graphic-output temperature data loggers for monitoring vaccine refrigeration: implications for pertussis.
abstract: We conducted the first US study using graphic-output temperature data loggers in quantifying cold chain failure. Fifty-four vaccine refrigerators of a county outpatient health system were studied. Forty-eight percent maintained temperatures of 2°C to 8°C and 24% had protracted periods of temperatures less than 0°C. The correlation between the percentage of refrigerators with freezing temperatures and the pertussis rate for each health region was r = 0.76. The findings suggest that improper vaccine storage may have contributed to recent increases in pertussis rates.
authors.affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. trickm@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McColloster
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vallbona
mesh_terms: D001331:Automation; D002648:Child; D003151:Community Health Centers; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D010567:Pertussis Vaccine; D011786:Quality Control; D012034:Refrigeration / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D022282:Vaccines, Acellular; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D010567:Pertussis Vaccine; D022282:Vaccines, Acellular