MIT Researchers Use RFID to Diagnose Freeze-damaged Vaccines

A team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)'s Auto-ID Lab are developing a simple RFID-based sensor that could provide a cost-effective method of detecting the exposure of vaccines to freezing temperatures. The accidental freezing of vaccine shipments is a large problem, with the majority of shipments being exposed to freezing temperatures at some point, according to one study conducted by scientists at the University of Kansas and another study performed by researchers at PATH, a nonprofit organization focused on health-care innovation. Such exposure can result in potency loss for freeze-sensitive vaccines, the scientists found, yet this issue has not been well addressed.