Hong Kong health department orders checks on private clinics after some vaccines found to be stored in domestic freezers
Using domestic refrigerators is not a direct violation but is against city guidelines
Private clinics will face random inspections after some were reported to be using household refrigerators instead of medical-grade freezers to store vaccines, Hong Kong’s health director said on Monday.
The announcement came as the number of people getting flu jabs rose. That was despite fears the shot was ineffective because it was different from the one recommended by the World Health Organisation.
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Using domestic refrigerators is not a direct violation but is against city guidelines, which urge the storage of vaccines in specific coolers, Director of Health Dr Constance Chan Hon-yee said.
“The relevant guidelines recommended it is best to use a medical-grade refrigerator, but some countries use domestic freezers for storage,” Chan said.
Officials from the Centre for Health Protection will do the checks.
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Chan dismissed suggestions that medical-grade refrigerators should be part of the centre’s regulations, citing rules from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention that state the household storage units could be used for vaccines, provided the temperature is checked twice a day.