Disposal of Syringes

Use auto-disable (AD) syringes and dispose of them as sharps waste.
Without recapping the needle, discard the used syringe into the safety box or safe syringe container.
Do not fill the safety box more than 3/4 of its capacity or up to the red line marked on the container.
Ensure the box is properly labeled with the infectious substances symbol.
Seal the safety box before transporting it to the treatment site.

Disposal of Vials

Put used vaccine vials and unopened vaccine vials which have expired or suffered heat exposure into a red or yellow bag for infectious waste, or into a biohazard container.
Open the vials posing a risk of cuts may be classified as sharps waste.
Ensure that bags/containers are properly labeled with the infectious substances symbol.
Seal the containers before transporting them to the treatment site.

Disposal of PPE

Use a room/place away from the vaccination area to remove all used PPE. Refer the IPC module to follow procedures for removing PPE.
After safely removing used PPE, put them into a special waste container or bag for infectious waste (yellow or red).
Ensure that the bag/container is properly labeled with the infectious substances symbol. Seal the containers before transporting them to the treatment site.

Key Considerations for Used Phase-Change Materials

Phase-change material is held in plastic or metal containers and as long as the containers are intact, the phase-change material should not enter the environment.
Plastic and metal will degrade over time and the ambient conditions of many cold-chain equipment disposal locations (e.g., open-air landfills or other outdoor areas) will speed the degradation or facilitate puncturing of the container.
Phase-change material should ideally be drained for proper disposal at the end of their useful life.