Temperature Cold Chain System Monitoring of the Vaccine Stock in Primary Care Service Unites, Hnongsonghong District, Khon Kaen Province

Abstract

Vaccines maintaining for good quality must be kept in a cold chain that is at the right temperature from the vaccine storage and distribution to the clients. If there is a problem in the cold chain, the effectiveness of the vaccine will be reduced that not effective to preventing disease. The objectives of this study were to monitor temperature during transport of vaccines from Hnongsonghong hospital stock to primary care unit and storage of vaccines in the proper temperature, and to study the relationship of factors with the storage and transportation temperature of the vaccine. Data were collected by the staffs responsible for immunization work in 14 primary care units. The tools for collecting data were the Immunization practice assessment form that was adapted from the cold chain assessment form for disease promotion, and temperature recorder. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that the average distance of vaccine transport from the hospital depot to the primary care depot was 13.08 kilometers (SD=5.77). Average transport time was 19.08 minutes (SD=6.59), the average temperature of the hospital depot was optimal temperature conditions (+2 to +8°C). Transportation traces showed that none of the routes were exposed to temperatures below 0°C. Optimizing the management of the cold chain was result in the temperature being kept within the optimum range (+2 to +8ºC). It is effective in preventing disease, therefore, should be studied to cover all primary care units in Khon Kaen province.