Our History
Helping to Solve Global Health Issues

In the 1990’s, the World Health Organization (WHO) was gravely concerned that children vaccinated against serious disease, like polio, might not be protected if the vaccine lost potency due to heat damage. WHO, in collaboration with PATH, challenged industry to develop an accurate, easy-to-use, cost effective device that could monitor heat exposure of vaccines over time. Temptime, formerly Lifelines Technology, was the only company that was able to develop technology to meet the strict specifications of the WHO, including:

• Accurate - to show the limit of use of  the vaccine
• Miniature - to be affixed to each vial, ampoule, syringe, etc.,
• Reliable throughout the vaccine's entire shelf life (manufacture to use)
• Manufacturable in the large volumes necessary for the massive UNICEF vaccination campaigns worldwide and cost-effective.

Since 1996, more than 3 billion HEATmarker indicators have been affixed to vaccines to insure patients are treated with vaccine that has not been overexposed to heat and possibly lost potency.

Early Adopters for OPV– Three Major Pharmaceutical Companies
In 1996, the first indicators were supplied for polio vaccine produced by GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Pasteur, and Novartis Vaccines.

Extension to All Vaccines
Following years of success using HEATmarker on polio vaccines supplied to their worldwide vaccination programs, the WHO decided that the HEATmarker should be extended to all vaccines in UNICEF programs worldwide. 
               

BCG Vaccine

Diphtheria-Pertussis-Tentanus (DTP) Vaccine 

Diphtheria-Tentanus (DT) Vaccine

DTP-Hep B-Hib Vaccine
DTP-Hep B Vaccine
DTP-Hib Vaccine

Haemophilus Influenzae Type B (Hib) Vaccine                       

Hepatitis B Vaccine

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine

Measles Vaccine

Measles-Rubella (MR) Vaccine

Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) Vaccine

Oral Polio Vaccine

Pneumococcal Vaccine

Rabies Vaccine

Rotavirus Vaccine

Tetanus Toxoid Vaccine

Yellow Fever Vaccine

Vaccines produced by more than 20 of the world's most important vaccine manufacturers have added protection of a vaccine vial monitor on each vial of life-saving vaccine.

Facilitating Access to Life Saving Vaccines
A joint study by the WHO and PATH showed that in 2006 HEATmarker:

• Identified more than 23 million doses of vaccine that were damaged by heat and therefore were not administered to patients; and
• Identified more than 31 million doses of vaccine that were exposed to potentially damaging heat, but were still effective for use – Avoiding waste of those vaccines.

The WHO estimates that over the next 10 years, HEATmarker will enable the delivery of an additional 140 million doses of vaccine, saving 140,000 lives and decreasing the morbidity rates for countless others.

Vaccine Vial Monitors: Small Labels With an Immense Impact

casestudiesforglobalhealth.org - “A tiny sticker is now available that can warn health care providers if the vaccine has been exposed to heat and, therefore, spoiled. The label is small enough to fit on the vial label, the top of the vial cap or on the neck of the ampoule. A simple color change on this sticker indicates the viability of the vial’s content with respect to heat exposure.” (read more)