Vaccine fridge data logger requirements
A vaccine fridge data logger must read through a buffered probe, record at least every 30 minutes, alarm outside 2 °C to 8 °C (36 °F to 46 °F), give current, minimum and maximum temperatures, carry a valid calibration certificate and keep records you can download. Those are the items of the CDC Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit; Canada's national guidance and the provincial and territorial documents below state the same 2 °C to 8 °C range. The table maps each requirement to its official source and to what EDGE Pharma One and EDGE Pharma Two do.
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Requirement by requirement
Wording is summarized from the official documents; follow the current version your immunization program names.
| Requirement | What the guidance says | EDGE Pharma One / Two |
|---|---|---|
| Buffered, detachable probe | Use a detachable probe that reflects vaccine temperature rather than air, for example one buffered in glycol, glass beads, sand or Teflon. CDC Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit | Each detachable NIST-traceable probe sits in a vial of food-grade ethanol that simulates the thermal mass of a vaccine dose, so a routine door opening does not raise a false excursion. A glycol fill is available on request. |
| Continuous recording, at least every 30 minutes | A digital data logger records every temperature at a preset interval; the interval should be programmable to at least every 30 minutes. CDC Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit | Recording interval from 1 to 30 minutes, set in LF Cloud (10 minutes is our advice for a vaccine fridge). Memory holds 49,000 records per measured parameter, and readings taken while offline upload when the connection returns. |
| Current, minimum and maximum temperature | The device shows current, minimum and maximum temperature; staff check and record the minimum and maximum at the start of each workday. The Canadian Immunization Guide asks for refrigerator temperatures to be recorded twice daily. CDC Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit Canadian Immunization Guide (PHAC) | The E-INK screen on the logger shows the current reading. The LF Cloud Min/ Max/ Average daily report gives a minimum and a maximum for every day, as PDF or Excel, for your temperature log. |
| Out-of-range alarm | The data logger has an alarm for out-of-range temperatures. CDC Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit | Audible and visual on-device alarm, designed in compliance with NSF/ANSI 456, plus email, SMS and phone call to an unlimited list of people. Set the limits at 2 °C and 8 °C (36 °F and 46 °F); an alarm trigger delay filters routine door openings. |
| Accuracy of ±0.5 °C | CDC recommends an uncertainty of ±0.5 °C (±1 °F); the Canadian Immunization Guide asks for thermometers accurate within ±0.5 °C (±1 °F). CDC Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit Canadian Immunization Guide (PHAC) | The Pharma probe is rated ±0.5 °C (±0.9 °F) from -20 °C to +50 °C (-4 °F to +122 °F), with a stated drift of about 0.01 °C (0.02 °F) a year between -20 °C and +25 °C (-4 °F and +77 °F). |
| Valid calibration certificate | Each device has a current, valid Certificate of Calibration Testing (traceability to NIST is one accepted basis), and calibration testing is repeated every 2 to 3 years or on the manufacturer's schedule. CDC Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit | Each EDGE Pharma One and EDGE Pharma Two probe comes with a manufacturer-issued NIST-traceable certificate, valid 3 years in use (5 years on the shelf). Anyone can look it up by the probe's 16-character ID or QR code without logging in; the screen counts down the last 60 days and LF Cloud emails a reminder. Renew by plugging in a newly calibrated probe. |
| Low-battery indicator | The data logger has a low-battery indicator. CDC Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit | The display shows battery level and external-power status, and LF Cloud emails a low-battery alert while the cells still have life. EDGE runs about 2 years on 4 AA cells, or on USB-C with the AA cells as backup. |
| Display outside the unit | Place the active digital display outside the storage unit, so the temperature can be read without opening the door. CDC Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit | The logger mounts outside the fridge and only the probe goes inside, on a 1.5 m (4.9 ft) lead that extends to 16.5 m (54 ft) in total. |
| Power outages | Protect the storage unit's power supply, and after an outage document how long the power was off and the minimum and maximum temperatures reached. CDC Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit | Power loss and power restoration are alarms. The logger switches to its AA cells and keeps recording. A Cellular model sends the alert over LTE; a WiFi model can only send it while the router still has power. |
| Downloadable, retained records | CDC says to keep temperature logs for 3 years; Ontario asks for data logger readings to be printed weekly and kept for 1 year or until the next public health inspection. Your own program's rule applies. CDC Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit Ontario Vaccine Storage and Handling Guidelines | Reports export as PDF or Excel and can be emailed on a schedule. Premium Access keeps unlimited history (the first year is included); without it a WiFi model shows the last 45 days and a Cellular model needs its yearly plan to stay online, so keep Premium, or export regularly, for multi-year retention. |
| Backup device | Keep at least one backup data logger in case the primary device breaks, malfunctions or needs calibration. CDC Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit | Keep a spare EDGE Pharma One or a spare calibrated probe. The certificate belongs to the probe, so swapping a probe takes minutes and needs no lab shipment. |
Rules by province and territory
Provincial and territorial programs build on the national guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada. These are the official documents we read, each stating the refrigerated vaccine range.
Manitoba, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Yukon and the Northwest Territories are not listed because we could not confirm the range on their own published pages; ask your public health unit for the current document. Documents read in November 2026.
Setting up EDGE Pharma One or Two for a vaccine fridge
The pharmacist guides walk through every setting: alarm limits of 2 °C and 8 °C, a 15-minute alarm trigger delay, a 10-minute recording interval, who gets the alarms, and how to pull the daily minimum and maximum report.
Frequently asked questions
What does CDC recommend for a vaccine fridge data logger?
The CDC Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit lists a detachable buffered probe, an out-of-range alarm, a low-battery indicator, a current, minimum and maximum temperature display, an uncertainty of ±0.5 °C (±1 °F), a logging interval of at least every 30 minutes and a current Certificate of Calibration Testing. EDGE Pharma One and EDGE Pharma Two have a buffered NIST-traceable probe rated ±0.5 °C, recording every 1 to 30 minutes, on-device and remote alarms, a low-battery alert and a certificate for each probe; the daily minimum and maximum come from the LF Cloud Min/ Max/ Average report.
What alarm limits should a vaccine fridge logger use?
2 °C and 8 °C (36 °F and 46 °F). CDC, the Canadian Immunization Guide and every provincial and territorial document listed on this page state that range for refrigerated vaccines. Set the EDGE limits at 2 °C and 8 °C and do not narrow them; use the alarm trigger delay to filter routine door openings.
How long must vaccine temperature records be kept?
It depends on your program. CDC says to keep temperature logs for 3 years; Ontario's guidelines ask for data logger printouts to be kept for 1 year or until the next public health inspection. LF Cloud keeps unlimited history with Premium Access, and reports export as PDF or Excel for your own files.
What calibration certificate comes with the EDGE Pharma One and Two probes?
A manufacturer-issued NIST-traceable certificate from a 1-point test at a point between -2 °C and +2 °C (28 °F and 36 °F), valid 3 years in use or 5 years on the shelf. CDC lists traceability to NIST as one of the accepted bases for a Certificate of Calibration Testing. For a multi-point calibration or a certificate from an accredited laboratory, contact LoggerFlex Support.
EDGE Pharma One or EDGE Pharma Two?
EDGE Pharma One has one NIST-traceable buffered probe, for one fridge. EDGE Pharma Two has two, so one logger covers two monitored points, such as two fridges side by side. Both come as WiFi and Cellular models; the Cellular model reports over LTE, so it can still send a power-cut alarm when the building's router is down.