New Vaccine Label Offers Real-Time Heat Exposure Detection

New vaccine label offers real-time heat exposure detection

A color-changing label could help prevent millions of vaccine doses from going to waste, say scientists from the University of Surrey. The innovation, now being commercialized through a partnership with MM PACKAGING GmbH (MM) Group and leading materials specialists Advanced Material Development Ltd (AMD), provides a low-cost and reliable way to show whether vaccines have been exposed to damaging heat.

A new low-cost label developed at the University of Surrey could stop millions of vaccines from being wasted.

The TempSight® label changes colour if vaccines get too hot, showing they are no longer safe to use. The labels are now set for testing by the World Health Organization and could soon be used in vaccine programmes around the world. Researchers say the same technology could also help keep medicines, blood, and even food safe.