Guideline for establishing or improving primary and intermediate vaccine stores

Overview

Most countries now have well-established immunization services and a network of vaccine stores. This infrastructure must be capable of responding to change. There is continuing pressure to add new vaccines to the schedule. At the same time, novel injection equipment and vaccine presentations are appearing on the market in response to the need to provide safe injections.

Managers of immunization services have to organize staff training and plan for the physical and budgetary implications of these changes. They also have to plan for the routine replacement of equipment so as to ensure that the cold chain remains reliable. This guideline is designed to assist with these activities at the primary and intermediate levels.

It should help managers to make decisions on the following matters.

· Choice of store location.
· Choice of refrigeration equipment.
· Site and building selection.
· Space planning.
· Equipment procurement.

This document is not a comprehensive technical guide to all the issues covered, nor is it intended to be a substitute for specialist advice where this is appropriate. Adequate technical advice can be obtained in many instances from other WHO documents and/or from reputable equipment suppliers. However, it is advisable to seek independent technical advice when setting up primary and intermediate stores with large cold stores and comprehensive safety equipment.