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Transporting COVID-19 vaccines

Published Last updated See all updates
Topics: Cold chain managementCOVID-19 vaccineService advice and planning
This article forms part of a series
  1. Managing COVID-19 Vaccines: Guidance and SOPs
    1. Ordering, receiving and storing COVID-19 vaccines
    2. Transporting COVID-19 vaccines
    3. Safe and secure handling, spillage and disposal of COVID-19 vaccines
    4. Moving COVID-19 vaccines legally within the NHS
    5. Preparing Comirnaty 30 Concentrate vaccine
    6. Preparing Comirnaty Bivalent vaccine
    7. Preparing Comirnaty 10 Concentrate vaccine
    8. Preparing Spikevax Original vaccine
    9. Preparing Spikevax Bivalent vaccine

Transporting COVID-19 vaccines using cool boxes

It may be necessary to transport COVID-19 vaccines from their initial receiving site to a vaccination clinic or to domiciliary settings using cool boxes to ensure the temperature is controlled between 2OC and 8OC during transport.

Each vaccine has different requirements for the permissible duration of journeys.

SPS has produced an example transport SOP that describes the steps to be taken to ensure that all of the vaccines are fit for purpose at the point of administration.

The attachment is presented in Word to enable adaptation locally, or as reference source to check that existing local procedures are robust and comprehensive. Within the SOP, red text indicates where detail is to be added locally.

Attachments

Further information

For further information about the storage and transport requirements for each vaccine each vaccine refer to the Understanding the characteristics of COVID-19 Vaccines series of articles.

For further information about the use of cool boxes refer to our Cold chain management of COVID-19  vaccines series of articles.

Update history

  1. Updated to include timings for Comirnaty Bivalent vaccine
  1. Published