- Vaccine refrigerator
Vaccine refrigerators are designed to store
vaccine s and other medical products at a stable temperature to ensure they do not degrade. In developing countries with a sunny climate, solar-powered vaccine refrigerators are common.Requirements for vaccine refrigeration
Many vaccines must be stored at low temperatures, some below -15°C, and others between 2 and 8°C [ [http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p3048.pdf Vaccine Handling Tips] ] . If vaccines are not stored correctly they can lose their effectiveness.
Solar powered vaccine refrigerators
In developing countries the electricity grid often does not reach rural areas, and is not always reliable. As keeping vaccines at the appropriate temperature is vital, solar-powered refrigerators are a cost-effective alternative that can be highly reliable. A typical system will use a solar
photovoltaic panel to generate electricity from sunlight, and adeep cycle battery to store energy for operation overnight.List of manufacturers of solar powered vaccine refrigerators
WHO approved products
The
World Health Organisation maintains a list of products related to vaccines that it approves for use, including refrigerators [ [http://www.who.int/vaccines-documents/DocsPDF00/www518.pdf WHO Product Information Sheets (1.6MB)] ] .See also
*
Solar power
*Vaccines References
External links
* [http://www.ashdenawards.org/winners/kxn Solar vaccine refrigerators in Nigeria]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.