Extending time in cold chain has been a challenge felt by all front-line staff responsible for the roll out of the various vaccines. Without solutions including the CorrMed vaccine cool bag we would not be in the position we are with one of the most efficient vaccination programs in the world as we are now in a position to be offering third Covid vaccines to all adults in country as well as the ongoing flu vaccination and childhood immunisations.
Why is facilitating extending time in cold chain so important? Simply put, it buys us the time to get the temperature-sensitive vaccines from main storage facilities to the patient without being compromised. Vaccine cool bags, specifically designed to maintain the temperature requirements of the products they carry for additional time, afford us the confidence that all vaccines are in prime, usable condition to be administered when required, instead of the clock ticking on shelf life the moment they leave storage.
Designed in the UK by leading bag designer, Brian Arnott and supported by Katie Houghton who specialises in providing infection control innovation and who is the founder and former director of ICNet. The CorrMed vaccine cool bags have infection control design principles at their core, as well as durable equipment bag design and easy handling
Key benefits of the bags include:
· wipe clean and waterproof material that is anti-mould and anti-bacterial
· velcro free
· anti-rot stitching to withstand extra cleaning to meet infection control requirements
· easy handling including ladder handles, integrated trolleys, adjustable shoulder straps and grab handles
· optimising thermal qualities: insulating material, padded zip protection, thermal separators, pillows, coolant holders and inner lid
· heavy duty, durable components including 250D tarpaulin, YKK zips, metal fastenings and protective feet on base
· withstand real-world use and damage, not just laboratory conditions
CorrMed released a new design of its Porta Thermal Vaccine Bags in September 2020 with improved handling functions and a focus on extending time in cold chain and undergoing independent testing by Cambridge Refrigeration Technology.
The R&D team from CorrMed tested a number of scenarios potentially facing users of vaccine cool bags. The team used frozen coolants, chilled coolants, and also no coolants to try and establish a clear understanding of how the vaccine bags will perform in the real world. The position of the coolants within the bags were tested in a variety of locations, as was mass of coolant and also the ambient temperature, testing at both 30°C and 25°C. The team also tested for different loading temperatures, with one load at 2°C and another load at 5°C.
The results of the independent testing showed that our 20-litre vaccine cool bag remained in cold chain the longest, for 9.98 hours. The vaccine bag had two large coolant blocks and six coolant gels. When packed differently the bag achieved 6.3 hours in cold chain. Our conclusion is that the extra coolant at the top of the bag has absorbed the incoming heat, providing a protective barrier for the contents inside the bag, allowing it to remain in cold chain for longer. This also shows the importance of appropriately packing a vaccine carry bag to ensure that it remains in cold chain for the longest time possible.
We understand the importance of independent testing and continue to work with partners who are undertaking ‘in field testing’ as well as our own independent testing facility.
For more information on the CorrMed Porta Thermal Vaccine bags, please visit our website. If you’d like a copy of the report or have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our team on info@corrmed.com