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The Cold Chain
Transporting the polio vaccine
When Rotary launched PolioPlus in 1985, the “plus” signaled the
belief that the polio eradication effort would increase
immunizations against five other diseases prevalent in children:
measles, tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, and tetanus. As
time went on, the list of benefits grew.
The enormous network of laboratories and health clinics charged with
identifying new cases of polio began to monitor the spread of other
viruses as well. And the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which
Rotary helped create, rose to international prominence as a model
for public-private partnerships to address world health issues.
The “plus” in PolioPlus means that Rotarians are doing more than
stopping the spread of polio in the last four countries in which it
is endemic; they also are building a legacy of infrastructure and
partnerships that will support the fight against infectious disease
long after polio is gone.
The cold chain
Transporting vaccines to developing areas is no easy task. From the
time they leave the manufacturer until they reach recipients,
vaccines must be kept between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius (though some
may be frozen at -15 to -25 degrees). Variances of even a few
degrees could spoil an entire shipment, leaving children without the
protection they need.
The “cold chain” created to distribute polio vaccine has been used
to transport other vaccines, such as measles, tetanus, and
diphtheria. An estimated one-third of the cold chain capacity in
sub-Saharan Africa was implemented to support polio eradication. |
Polio
immunization campaigns created an avenue for other lifesaving health
interventions, such as the distribution of vitamin A supplements.
New equipment for transporting and storing vaccines made it easier
to combat infectious diseases in developing areas.