(gentle music) - [Narrator] Before this COVID-19 vaccine gets injected into your arm, Everything has to be done exactly right, including gently swirling it just so.

Otherwise, the vaccine may not work.

Here's why.

- Whatever the active ingredient in there is suspended in an agent.

So in this case, it's suspended within what's called lipid nanoparticles.

- [Narrator] Basically, little fat globules.

In the Moderna and Pfizer-Biontech vaccines, these nanoparticles cushion and protect messenger RNA, or mRNA.

This molecule carries the instructions that the body will use to build a defense against COVID-19.

- If we shake it, unfortunately, the manufacturer indicates that it may break down that lipid structure.

- [Narrator] That can expose and eventually destroy the mRNA.

The Johnson and Johnson vaccine uses DNA that's encased within an inactivated virus, but too much movement could mean a dose drawn from the vaccine vials won't carry enough of the mRNA or DNA to help you build sufficient immunity.

- It may not get into your cells like it should.

- [Narrator] Any mishaps can reduce the vaccine's potency and every dose counts as providers race against new variants to curb the pandemic and achieve herd immunity.

- We need roughly 75% or greater people to be immune.

- [Narrator] Proper handling of the vaccine is just one of the details needed to successfully vaccinate as many people as possible.

- It's a great art and science of managing this vaccine.

- [Narrator] Each of the three emergency approved vaccines have different storage and handling requirements, which require close monitoring.

- The colder the temperature, the more stable they are.

And that once we get to a higher temperatures, there's less stability.

- [Narrator] The Pfizer-Biontech vaccine needs an ultra cold freezer and then must thaw in a fridge, where it's good for up to five days.

The Moderna vaccine doesn't need such extreme cold and can last in a standard fridge for up to 30 days.

Johnson and Johnson vaccine can last up to three months in the refrigerator.

The temperatures need to be carefully monitored to ensure vaccines stay within the range that manufacturers prescribe.

- It's hooked up to our wifi and it'll send us a message whenever, or if, we have, hopefully it doesn't happen, but if the unit goes out of range, then we're notified immediately.

- The specifics are based on how the manufacturers decided to test their products.

Pfizer-Biontech initially tested its vaccine using extremely low temperatures, but further testing showed it remained viable stored under slightly warmer conditions for a set period of time.

And even though the Johnson and Johnson vaccine arrives frozen, it's guidelines direct vaccinators to store it in a refrigerator.

Once a vial of any of the three vaccines is open for dosing though, the clock starts ticking on how long it'll last.

- You're constantly looking at how much needs to go in the refrigerator.

How much do we pull out and put into the room?

How long has it been in the room?

How long has it been open since you took out the first dose?

- It's almost as though you were dealing with chocolate, and if you have chocolates, you know that if you get to a certain temperature, it's going to melt.

And so if you encapsulate that chocolate in a coating, let's just say like an M&M, then you can maintain it for a longer period of time.

- [Narrator] Some vaccine coordinators work solely to monitor proper handling of the vials, which like other vaccines, must not be directly exposed to sunlight, but it's unclear exactly how much sunlight, warmth, or movement is too much.

- We know that sunlight and just light from rooms can actually interfere with the integrity of the product.

- Yeah, there's a lot of things within medicine and pharmacy that don't have exact parameters around them.

And so, what we do is the best we can to mitigate any potential loss.

- [Narrator] Required training for anyone handling the vaccine minimizes that risk, and providers must take prompt action if transport or storage temperatures ever go out of range.

- So immediately, we're gonna put it in the freezer because we don't want to be responsible for further degradation of that vaccine, just in case, and then we would notify the manufacturer, and then we would notify the county that we had gotten at a batch that had come that was not good so that they can follow up on that from their end as well.

- [Narrator] But it's unlikely any major mishandling that would compromise the vaccine would go unnoticed by a provider.

And vaccines often have ample supply of the active ingredient that creates the immune response.

So any minor slipups likely would not reduce their effectiveness, but careful handling is necessary to reach herd immunity as quickly as possible.

(upbeat music)