Already collected a vaccine: how should you store it and bring it for injection?

Before the appointment, ask the pharmacy how the vaccine concerned is supplied. If you already have it, say so and describe its storage conditions: collecting a vaccine does not replace the professional checks required before injection.

For a vaccine supplied for storage at home, Vaccination Info Service advises refrigeration between +2 °C and +8 °C as soon as you return from the pharmacy. Also follow the instructions for that product and the pharmacist’s advice.

Keep it inside the refrigerator, away from the door and without touching the back where it could freeze. Do not freeze it. Keep the packaging and product information for the checks before use.

Transport must preserve the cold chain. Ask the pharmacist which packaging suits your journey; insulated packaging alone does not establish that the correct temperature is maintained. Do not assume a universal time limit outside the refrigerator.

If it was left somewhere warm, may have frozen or you are unsure about transport, tell the professional before administration. Describe what happened rather than decide yourself that it remains usable; the applicable instructions need checking.

Check the expiry date with the professional. Return an expired or poorly stored vaccine to the pharmacist rather than dispose of it in a sink or household waste. For a future injection, first agree how the vaccine will be supplied and transported.