What immediate action should be taken upon receiving a shipment of vaccines?

Upon receiving a shipment of vaccines, the first priority is to ensure that they are preserved in optimal condition to maintain their efficacy. Refrigerating the contents immediately helps to keep them at a stable, appropriate temperature, which is essential for preserving the integrity of the vaccines.

Vaccines are sensitive biological products, and exposure to temperatures outside of their recommended range can lead to reduced effectiveness or complete loss of potency. Therefore, it's critical to unpack the vaccines and refrigerate them as soon as possible to safeguard their quality for future use.

Although inspecting for defects is an important part of handling any pharmaceutical product, it should not come before the critical step of refrigeration. Vaccines may degrade quickly if left at room temperature or if not stored correctly right away. Administering vaccines immediately is also not feasible unless there is an established workflow that accommodates immediate administration, which generally is not the case at the time of receipt. Thus, placing them in a refrigerator first is the most prudent course of action.