Putting vaccines to use with an ultra-cold chain (UCC) system - A briefing for country and programme focal points

Across the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic is causing unprecedented human and economic costs. The solution to saving lives, ending the pandemic and preventing future epidemics likely lies in the development and administration of a safe and effective vaccine against the COVID-19 virus.

More than a hundred COVID-19 vaccine candidates are in the research and development pipeline. Some of them—especially the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine types—may need to be kept at ultra-low temperatures (ULTs) to maintain their potency. This poses additional challenges to cold chain storage and transport, especially in areas without major transport links, refrigeration facilities or stable power supplies.