What should be done with varicella vaccine in case of a power outage?
If varicella vaccine is thawed for any reason, including a power failure, you must consult the manufacturer for advice before using the vaccine. Try to estimate the temperature that the vaccine was exposed to (that is, the highest temperature that your freezer reached), and the length of time that the vaccine was at that temperature. If the vaccine was at least cold at all times, but not kept frozen at -15C or colder for less than 72 hours, the company will probably recommend changing the expiration date and using the vaccine as soon as possible. To help maintain vaccines at cold temperatures during power failures, we recommend that you always keep extra ice or cold packs in the freezer compartment.
