[From Maine CDC 04/01/2020]

In the event of temporary office closures at provider facilities, we are asking that providers ensure proper storage and handling of state supplied vaccines by following the guidance below:

Review back-up emergency plans and have your protocols in place

• Vaccine should be transported to an alternate location where temperatures can be monitored regularly using a portable vaccine refrigerator/freezer or a qualified container and packouts.
• If transport is not feasible and a digital data logger (DDL) is present that can store sufficient data for the closure, leave vaccine in current unit and mark "DO NOT USE".
• Upon reopening, review all DDL data and take action on any temperature excursion, if any, before administering vaccine.
• When reviewing DDL data, it is important to check that complete data are available for all dates and times.
• If the DDL ultimately did not have enough capacity to record during the period of closure or experienced failures, you will need to consult with the vaccine manufacturer to determine if the vaccine can be used or should be discarded.
• For school clinics, if there is an end of school year or holiday protocol in place, please utilize it in the event of extended closure.

Prepare for Emergency Vaccine Transport 

• Review MIP's Policies and Procedure Manual for instructions on properly transporting vaccines on pages 44 – 48.
• You may also refer to the following document which includes visuals.   "Packing Vaccines for Transport during Emergencies".
• Please follow these instructions carefully to ensure safe transport of vaccine.