Medical Freezers

Medical freezers are purpose built units recommended by the CDC, in order to properly store medications, biologics, and vaccines.

Our selection of medical grade freezers provides the modern styling, temperature monitoring, and technological advancements required to assure safe vaccine storage. These commercial refrigerators can be used for short- or long-term storage of donated blood, vaccines, or lab specimens. To maximize airflow and regulate interior temperatures, wire racks or storage baskets are included. To avoid overfilling, which could cause the freezer to lose temperature, choose a medical freezer with more than enough storage capacity for your operation's busiest day. If the unit isn't filled to capacity, it is recommended to place water bottles in the empty space to regulate temperatures. Burkett offers medical grade freezers from Migali Scientific, one of the top names in medical refrigeration.

Specialty Buying Considerations

Medical freezers have some unique features to help maintain the integrity of the stored contents because they need to be much more precise in temperature holding than foodservice refrigeration.

• Locking doors - Locking doors will help you keep sensitive materials secure. Never allow access to or tampering with samples in your medical freezer without authorization.
• Access ports - Utilize an access port to run data loggers and thermometers into the freezer to maintain constant temperatures in the unit. Your door gasket's seal may become compromised if access ports aren't used properly, which could lead to unexpected changes in interior temperatures.
• Audible alarms - In order to prevent samples from losing integrity due to improper refrigerated holding, audible alarms will notify staff if temperatures do fluctuate outside of a predetermined range.
• Record-keeping - Models equipped with this function have a USB port that allows them to retrieve accurate temperature data over a longer period of time.
• Mobile units - A mobile unit might be a great option if your facility needs to move samples from one location to another. Transport contents safely without worrying about the possibility of temperatures straying from the ideal range.
• Traceable thermostats - These advanced thermostats show three readings. They will also show the highest and lowest temperatures that have been detected since the last reset in addition to the usual reading for the current temperature.
• Microprocessor controls - Microprocessor controls can access the refrigeration system with digital electronics, ensuring that temperatures stay as close to the set point as possible. Some offer the ability to connect computers and diagnostic tools for additional temperature control and data logging.

What temperature should my medical freezer hold?

It's important to understand the requirements for the vaccines or samples you plan to store. According to the CDC, most frozen vaccines need to be held at temperatures between -50°C and -15°C (-58°F and +5°F).

Can I use a medical freezer for food?

These freezers were made specifically to house pharmaceutical and medical samples. Food should never be kept with sensitive biological materials. By clearly labeling the items in your medical freezer and storing food and personal items somewhere else, you can prevent compromising the integrity of your medical products. For storing food, check out our selection of reach-in refrigerators and freezers, undercounter refrigerators and freezers, or worktop refrigerators and freezers.

Do I need an automatic defrost?

Keeping your medical freezer free of ice buildup will ensure the unit continues to hold consistent temperatures. Many units come equipped with automatic defrost systems that allow the unit to increase the temperature enough to defrost without putting medical samples or vaccines at risk. If your unit does not include an automatic defrost system, you'll need a plan for how to transport and store the contents while your medical freezer defrosts.