Hoshizaki warn on dangers of storing Covid-19 vaccinations in Climate Class 3 refrigerators

In line with the UK roll-out of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccination, Hoshizaki want to advise the healthcare sector against using Climate Class 3 or lower rated refrigerators for vaccine storage purposes. This is because unlike a commercial or Climate Class 4 or 5 refrigerator, a domestic, Climate Class 3 (or lower rated) refrigerator is unable to maintain a stable and safe storage temperature when the door of the appliance is opened multiple times a day as Simon Frost, Director, UK & Ireland, explains:

“Given that designated AstraZeneca vaccination venues will be vaccinating tens to hundreds of patients per day, the door of the refrigerator will in-turn need to be opened countless times a day for the vaccine to be retrieved on a patient-by-patient basis. A domestic, Climate Class 3 (or lower) rated refrigerator is simply not designed to be opened to this high level, and therefore will not be able to maintain safe, storage temperatures for the vaccine. It is therefore critical that designated vaccination venues use a commercial, Climate Class 4 or higher rated refrigerator for storing the AstraZeneca vaccine”

Simon continues:

“As a manufacture of commercial freezers and refrigerators, Hoshizaki feels it is our responsibility to  reinforce  the importance of following these strict storage requirements. We are also currently prioritising enquiries and orders made by healthcare venues. Due to the significant storage differences required for the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines, we would recommend  a Hoshizaki refrigerator such as those within our new Gram Compact range, for the former, whilst for the Pfizer vaccine we would suggest a model from our BioLine models which are equipped to store  vaccines at the required -70C temperature.”

No matter the model, healthcare professionals can be confident that the AstraZeneca vaccine will be stored in a safe, temperature secure way given that each refrigerator within the expansive Hoshizaki range is Climate Class 4 rated or higher. All Hoshizaki refrigerators also feature efficient air circulation systems meaning temperatures can quickly recover each time the door of the unit it opened.  For complete peace of mind, Hoshizaki refrigerators also feature temperature alarms and come with optional door locks.

Find out more information on models within the Hoshizaki range here.