Produced in support of HPV introduction, discussing the target group, administration, storage and transport of the vaccine, including details on the VVM use

A short video explaining how to read a VVM including types of VVMs (indicates only four types), and using VVM as a visual cue

A short video explaining temperature monitoring at health care facilities including the role of VVM.

To keep vaccines safe, they must be kept at a right temperature. But temperature sensitivity can vary among different vaccines. A short video about the temperature sensitivity of the vaccines with references to VVM.

Step-by-step explanation of WHO’s MDVP implementation including the role of VVMs in using MDVP as visual cue.

This short video gives tips for arranging vaccines in any refrigerator from the perspective of space utilization, types of vaccines, expiry dates, VVM status, and MDVP applications.

This short video focuses on the importance of stock records in order to prevent stockouts and overstocks, and viewers are taken through a stock ledger on what to record and how to record, including the role of VVM in stock movements.

Kevin O’Donnell reviews the role of VVM and how it can be the answer to increase access and ensure quality of vaccine was not compromised due to unacceptable heat exposure.

Simona Zipursky reviews the cold chain challenges to demonstrate that problems are both in developing and industrialized countries and questions whether VVM should also be the answer for both.

The Controlled Temperature Chain, CTC, is an innovative approach to vaccine management allowing vaccines to be kept at temperatures outside of the traditional cold chain of +2°C to +8°C for a limited period of time under monitored and controlled conditions, as appropriate to the stability of the antigen. 

Umit Kartoglu presents the critical aspect of exploitation of stability data to reach the unreached through overview of studies taking vaccines beyond the 8 deg C all published in peer-review journals as well as a new concept of cool water packs by the WHO and Vaccine Vial Monitors. As he indicates that vaccines have become more stable and there is a clear prospect of increased or even complete heat stability, and concludes that in these circumstances the dogmatic approach to the cold chain causes resources to be wasted and places unnecessary restrictions on field operations.

A movie, produced for the 10th year anniversary of the introduction of vaccine vial monitors (VVM). The movie focuses on how this simple tool expands the horizon of the immunization programme and empowers health workers serving people at the very periphery of the health system. The theme and the goal are specific but there are scenes, human conditions, and different livings for everybody to see and think about them. Shot in Niger, Vietnam and Indonesia in 2007.

Denis Maire summarizes the technical characteristics of VVMs and explains how they work

Umit Kartoglu reviews temperature monitoring devices used in a typical vaccine cold chain and analyzes how the readings relate to each other when there is more than one device at a particular point. This analysis is done from the VVM perspective.

Umit Kartoglu reviews the critical last mile between the service point and the end user. He further discusses the best solutions for storage and transport of products and best practices for temperature monitoring.

Kevin O’Donnell discusses thermodynamics, the basis of heat transfer and how we can use heat energy to our benefit in packaging.

Umit Kartoglu reviews the requirements for product arrival, storage and dispatch and analyzes the role of VVM in effective stock management for each step. Special emphasis is given to the relation of VVM and expiry date in illustrating how VVM over-rules earliest expiry first out principle.

Simona Zipursky reviews the studies on taking vaccines beyond the cold chain all published in peer-review journals and comments on how VVMs could be instrumental in these operations

Umit Kartoglu reviews the recent changes in integrity and location of VVMs and the new message VVM is giving whether a vial containing multi-dose vaccine can be kept for a subsequent session following opening the vial.

Serge Ganivet reviews the VVM use at the most periphery through different examples and brings new perspectives on how to make best decisions based on the expiry and VVM readings.

VVM is the heart of a vaccine. With its color change, VVM signals to the health worker that vaccine is alive. Like a heart, it beats all the time. (Video produced on the occasion of the World Immunization Week 2019)

This video vignette describes how the vaccine vial monitor reassures health workers that vaccine is safe and effective—or alerts them that vaccine has been damaged by heat on the long journey from a European manufacturing plant to a remote village in Kenya. Nurse Gladys Wambu remembers the days before the sticker was available and speaks to its impact.

Breakthrough and lifesaving innovations in global health like new vaccines or treatments for widespread diseases are exciting. But after the innovation is unleashed, often the hardest part remains: how to get these life-saving products and insights into adoption in places with the greatest need. Although VVMs are not mentioned in the discussions, it is worth listening to global health leaders how they are attacking these problems creatively.

Vaccines spoil if they're not kept cold, which makes it harder to deliver them to very remote places. Watch Ewan McGregor, a UNICEF ambassador, learn about the ingenious solutions to this challenge.