Immunization: The Right way of Thawing Vaccines and Storing Diluent (Research Paper Sample)

                Immunization Student Name Institution                   Immunization Thawing a frozen vaccine by putting it in a cup of hot water is not acceptable. Most vaccines have poor thermo stability and the rapid thawing from the hot water lowers their potency. Thermal shock may also occur reducing the potency of the vaccine. The thawing process should be slow and carried out in a controlled manner where temperatures readings are taken (Turner, Laws, & Roberts, 2011). Since the temperatures are not controlled in this thawing process, the nurse runs a risk of administering a hot solution in the vein of the child. This irritating solution may end up causing inflammation of the vein with a possibility of clot formation due to trauma. If the DPT vaccine was in the deep freezer, it should be returned to the freezer where temperatures are within the recommended range. However before doing so, the nurse should check the vaccine vial monitor to check whether the vaccine has been kept in temperatures which preserve its potency. The nurse should also check for the expiry date of the vaccine. Those vaccines that have expired should be discarded rather than proceed with thawing them. Those vaccines that are freeze sensitive (TT, Td, DTP, DT, HepB, DTP-HepB + Hib and liquid Hib vaccines) should undergo a ‘shake’ test to check their validity (Turner et al., 2011). Those that a frozen solid should be promptly discarded. All these observations ensure that the thawed vaccine will still be potent when administered to the child. The DTP vaccine should be discarded immediately since initially it had been frozen solid. It is recommended that any vaccine that is homogenous or has been frozen solid should be discarded immediately since its potency has been greatly lowered. Any methods used to liquefy the already-frozen will not raise its potency (Turner et al., 2011). Administration of such a vaccine is associated with an increased incidence of local reactions or a reduced immune response. The children who have received the spoilt DPT vaccine should come for another dose no earlier than four weeks from the initial invalid dose. Before the next dose, they should be closely monitored for any signs of an adverse reaction and be treated accordingly. The diluents from the window ledge should not be used to reconstitute the measles vaccines for some reasons. The first reason being thermal shock may ensue since the diluent had become warm after exposure to light over a long period. A combination of the warm diluent and a live attenuated vaccine such as measles is a perfect combination for causing thermal shock. The diluent should be at the same temperature with the vaccine (+2 Deg C to +8 Deg C) (Kartoglu & Milstien, 2014). Thermal shock refers to the death of some or all of the essential live organisms contained in the in the vaccine. Ideally, diluents should be cooled for at least 24 hours before they are used to ensure they are at the appropriate temperature. Secondly, the measles vaccine should be reconstituted with the appropriate diluent that came along with it. By placing the diluents on the window ledge, they get mixed up. This paves the way for the risk of incorrect reconstitution of the vaccine. Major adverse reactions, incl...