Conference Abstract | Volume 9 (ConfPro8): Abstract 10 | Published: 05 Oct 2026
Samuel Dapaa1,4*, Samson Obripuo2, Shabanu Alidu3, Rita Agyekumwah Asante1, George Akowuah1, Belinda Nsiah Opoku1, Magdalene Akos Odikro1, Genevieve Yiripare2, Samuel Oko Sackey1
1Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, 2Daffiama Bussie Issa District Health Directorate of Ghana Health Service, 3Wa West District Health Directorate of Ghana Health Service, 4Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Coast
&Corresponding author: Samuel Dapaa, Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, University of Ghana, Legon and Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Ghana, Email: samuel_dapaa@yahoo.com, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1092-0946
Received: 10 Mar 2026, Accepted: 20 Aug 2026, Published: 05 Oct 2026
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Cold chain, immunization, vaccine safety, temperature monitoring, Ghana, public health
©Samuel Dapaa et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Samuel Dapaa et al., Reality versus records: An epidemiological assessment of vaccine cold chain integrity and temperature monitoring accuracy in Northern Ghana, 2026. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfPro8):10. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO8-0010
Vaccines require a strict +2°C to +8°C cold chain to maintain potency. In Ghana, manual monitoring remains the standard, but its reliability in reflecting actual refrigerator performance is often unverified. This study aimed to determine the completeness of manual temperature records; assess the frequency and duration of excursions using electronic Fridge Tags; and compare manual documentation against electronic records.
We conducted a cross-sectional evaluation of 10 primary healthcare facilities in the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa District. Automated Fridge Tag logs and scanned manual monitoring sheets were extracted from February to June 2026. Temperature excursion frequencies and manual completeness rates were calculated. Excursion was defined as temperatures <2°C (freezing risk) or >8°C (heat excursion). Manual record completeness was categorized as Excellent (≥95%), Good (90–94.9%), Fair (80–89.9%), or Poor (<80%). Permission was obtained from the District Health Directorate. Multiple linear regression analysis examined the association between chart completeness, monitoring duration, and temperature excursion values.
Across 590 monitored days, temperatures were out-of-range on 38.1% (225/590) of days. The excursions included 85.4% (199/233) and 14.6% (34/233) heat-excursion and freeze-risk respectively. Fian Health Center and Bussie Health Center recorded 100% (60/60) and 97.80% (178/182) manual documentation completeness but were out-of-range on 45.76% (27/59) and 64.41% (38/59) of days respectively. Wogu CHPS recorded the highest, 67.8% (40/59) days out-of-range and the lowest manual documentation of 71.3% (87/122). Issa Polyclinic recorded the least,13.6% (8/59) days out-of-range. Each unit increase in chart completeness corresponded to a 0.92°C rise in excursion, while each additional hour of monitoring was linked to a 0.41°C increase [F(2,230) = 27.89, p < 0.001, R² = 0.20].
Manual documentation completeness was high but with frequent, prolonged excursions. Chart completeness and monitoring duration were significantly associated with temperature excursion values. We recommend prioritizing equipment maintenance and electronic alarm-response training over purely manual monitoring.
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