Understanding Manitoba’s Cold Chain Protocol
The Manitoba Cold Chain Protocol for Vaccines and Biologics establishes provincial requirements for cold chain management of publicly funded vaccines and biologics. It applies to all sites that store and handle vaccines across the province.
Protocol Scope
This protocol applies to:
- Public health units
- Pharmacies
- Community providers
- Physician offices
- Regional health authorities
Key Storage Requirements
Manitoba cold chain requirements include:
- Temperature Range: +2°C to +8°C at all times
- Secure Location: Refrigerator kept away from public and unauthorized access
- Twice-Daily Recording: Temperatures logged twice each working day with time and staff initials
- Documentation: Complete temperature records and failure response forms
Temperature Recording Requirements
Manitoba Health requires that refrigerator temperatures be recorded twice each working day. Each reading must include:
- The current temperature
- The time the reading was taken
- The initials of the staff member recording it
ATEK exceeds these requirements with:
- Continuous timestamped readings around the clock
- Multi-channel alerts (SMS, email, phone)
- Cloud-based storage with complete history
- Automatic excursion documentation
Roles and Responsibilities
Each site must designate a staff member accountable for the cold chain, responsible for:
- Daily monitoring of storage temperatures
- Responding to temperature alarms
- Managing cold chain failures
- Maintaining documentation
- Ensuring staff training
Cold Chain Failure Procedures
When a cold chain failure occurs, Manitoba requires:
- Separate: Move affected product into a container marked “DO NOT USE”
- Preserve: Keep the product at +2°C to +8°C until directed
- Report: Complete and submit the Cold Chain Failure Response Form to Manitoba Health
- Await Guidance: Do not use or discard product until directed
ATEK automatically captures the data needed for the response form, including exact excursion times, minimum and maximum temperatures, duration, and a complete audit trail.
Training Requirements
Manitoba requires that all staff handling vaccines be trained on cold chain procedures. ATEK’s user-friendly dashboard supports training with intuitive access to monitoring data and straightforward compliance reporting.
How ATEK Supports Manitoba Compliance
ATEK monitors vaccine storage temperatures continuously, sends multi-channel alerts to the accountable staff member, and maintains audit-ready records including temperature logs, calibration certificates, and failure reports for Manitoba Health review.