Impact of COVID-19 on access to cooling globally

This report examines the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the specific challenges posed by the cold chain requirements of early vaccines, which threatened equitable global access to immunization.

• The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant socio-economic disruption, driving between 119 and 124 million people into extreme poverty. Women in developing countries were particularly affected, as 70 percent of the female workforce in those regions operates in the informal sector.
• The pandemic disrupted essential services and education globally: approximately 1.5 billion students experienced school closures, 370 million children missed an average of 40 percent of school meals, and 94 million children across 26 countries missed measles vaccinations as of October 2020.
• Achieving global herd immunity is estimated to require the effective and equitable vaccination of 60–70 percent of the population, which presents a massive distribution challenge.
• The ultra-low temperature requirements of early vaccines, such as Pfizer (-70°C) and Moderna (-20°C), created barriers to access for countries lacking extensive cold-chain infrastructure, as most routine vaccines only require temperatures between 2 and 8°C.
• The Pfizer vaccine is considered unlikely to be a viable solution for India due to the high cost of necessary sub-zero cold storage; cold boxes capable of -80°C typically cost between USD 10,000 and USD 20,000, a price described as prohibitive for the scale required for herd immunity.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on access to cooling globally. https://www.seforall.org/chilling-prospects-2021/impact-of-covid-19-on-access-to-cooling-globally

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. Impact of COVID-19 on access to cooling globally. 2021. https://www.seforall.org/chilling-prospects-2021/impact-of-covid-19-on-access-to-cooling-globally.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=Impact of COVID-19 on access to cooling globally |date=2021 |url=https://www.seforall.org/chilling-prospects-2021/impact-of-covid-19-on-access-to-cooling-globally |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sustainableenergyforall2021impact, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, title = {{Impact of COVID-19 on access to cooling globally}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, year = {2021}, url = {https://www.seforall.org/chilling-prospects-2021/impact-of-covid-19-on-access-to-cooling-globally}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }