OPV Must Have Heat-Sensitive Label

As a measure to promote a more efficient immunization program for poliomyelitis, UNICEF will now require all its suppliers of oral polio vaccine to use heat-sensitive labels on individual vials of OPV.

The latest news follows reports that non-viable OPV vaccine which has been rendered ineffective by heat has been passed as useable product. With the introduction of the new safety measure, the administration of degraded vaccines to children will almost certainly be avoided, according to director of UNICEF David Halliday.

LifeLines Wins Contract As a result of the decision, which was circulated in the form of a UNICEF and World Health Organization mandate on OPV, US company LifeLines Technology has won contracts with a number of major European vaccine manufacturers for its HEATmarker Vaccine Viral Monitor product, a heat-sensitive label which will be applied directly to vaccine vials.