Industry terms can have different meanings to the different people inhabiting the industry. When we hear the term ”Concrete Curing” we immediately think of temperature and evaporation. The construction worker on site doing the curing however, he may only think of strength and durability.
Due to the different connotations of words and phrases in the different industries that we serve, we’ve decided to create our own dictionaries. These dictionaries are meant to explain jargon that’s thrown around your work site or office, the way temperature and humidity experts might see it.
Second up, vaccines! Vaccines are some of the most closely monitored (or at least they should be) products in the world. Enjoy our definitions of some frequently used terms!
Best Practice (n.)
DEFINITION: The little blue ribbon that shows up in the CDC’s Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit; The accepted standard for storing and handling vaccines; What your vaccine coordinator wants you to do.
EXAMPLE: Sacred Heart Hospital had recently complied with best practices by removing all vaccines from refrigerator-freezer combo storage units.
Calibration (n.)
DEFINITION: A test and adjustment of your data logger, thermometer, or sensor to ensure accuracy; proof that your sensor is accurate; something you should do every year.
EXAMPLE: Mark sent his data logger back to the manufacturer for a calibration, as it had been over a year since his hospital had purchased the device.
Visit Dickson's Vaccine Solution Base for Data Loggers specifically geared for hospitals and clinics storing vaccines.
CDC (n.)
DEFINITION: The Center for Disease Control and Prevention; the people who develop vaccine storage and handling recommendations; the organization you should look to for the most up-to-date storage guidance.
EXAMPLE: A print-out of the CDC’s Vaccine and Storage Handling Toolkit was printed out at every vaccine fridge in the clinic.
Diluent (n.)
DEFINITION: Almost always referred to in conjunction with vaccines when one is discussing storage; must also be stored at correct temperatures; used to dilute the vaccine.
EXAMPLE: Betty had remembered to transfer the vaccines to a new cooler during the power outage, but had forgotten about the diluents that needed to be stored at the same temperature.
Data Logger (n.)
DEFINITION: A vaccine insurance policy; device used to measure and record temperature in your refrigerator or freezer; better than a temperature log or chart recorder; recommended by the CDC.
EXAMPLE: Cary had just installed a data logger in her refrigerator a week earlier, and the data she was reading suggested the refrigerator had begun to malfunction.
And we have data loggers specifically for vaccine people. Check them out by clicking here.
Freezer (n.)
DEFINITION: Where VAR, HZV, MMRV, and MMR, should be stored; colder than a refrigerator; should not be connected to a refrigerator
EXAMPLE: The vaccines that Jen stored in the freezer where also sensitive to light, so she kept the door to the freezer open as little as possible.
Expiration Date (n.)
DEFINITION: Information on the vaccine label that tells vaccine distributors the last day they can administer the vaccine; what you should check when you receive vaccines; a reminder to rotate stock every week.
EXAMPLE: Sam saw that some vaccines in his refrigerator had expired the day prior, so he separated them from the rest of his vaccines, and placed them in a container within the fridge labeled ”DO NOT USE.”
