Vaccine vial monitors: Transforming the way we can deliver vaccines
May 2007
WHO/Umit Kartoglu
Vaccine vial monitor, or VVM, is a heat-sensitive indicator printed on vial labels to indicate whether or not the vaccine is damaged in overexposure to heat.
Over the next 10 years, VVM will allow health workers to recognize and replace more than 230 million doses of unusable vaccines, and to deliver 1.5 billion more vaccine doses to remote locations. It will also save vaccines worth about US$ 5 million every year by preventing dumping of vials that are suspected to be damaged.
This photo essay shows how VVM works and how it is helping to increase the effectiveness and coverage of national immunization programmes.
Corporate resources
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The world health report
Report on global public health and key statistics -
World health statistics report
WHO's annual compilation of data from its Member States -
International travel and health
Publication on travel risks, precautions and vaccination requirements -
International Health Regulations (IHR)
Global rules to enhance national, regional and global public health security