Challenges in vaccine rollout linked to cooling

This report by Sustainable Energy for All examines the critical role of cold chain logistics and reliable electricity access in the global rollout of vaccines, specifically highlighting how infrastructure gaps in low-income regions and Sub-Saharan Africa hinder the achievement of herd immunity.

• Insufficient supply chains and logistics capabilities related to cold chains could leave approximately 2.7 billion people without dependable access to vaccines. This remains a massive challenge even for vaccines requiring conventional storage temperatures between 2°C and 8°C, complicating the effort to reach a COVID-19 herd immunity threshold estimated at 60–70 percent (4.7 to 5.5 billion people).
• Significant disparities exist in vaccine distribution between wealthy and poor nations. The Economist Intelligence Unit predicts that 85 poor countries, including almost all African nations except Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Morocco, and South Africa, will not have widespread COVID-19 vaccine access before 2023.
• Electricity access in health facilities is a major barrier to vaccine efficacy. A 2013 World Bank survey of 730 facilities across Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Myanmar, Nepal, and Niger found that about 25 percent lacked a primary electricity source. Furthermore, 25 percent of on-grid facilities reported outages that impaired health services, while in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Niger, half or more of the facilities relied on off-grid power.
• In Sub-Saharan Africa, energy instability severely undermines healthcare. A 2013 WHO-led review of 11 countries in the region estimated that 25 percent of health facilities had no electricity, and only 28 percent of health facilities and 34 percent of hospitals had 'reliable' electricity. Globally, IRENA estimates that 1 billion people depend on health facilities without any electricity supply.
• International organizations are deploying technical and financial solutions to bridge the cold chain gap. Gavi is procuring 65,000 solar direct-drive refrigerators for nearly 50 countries, and UNICEF began purchasing 92,000 vaccine fridges (including 11,325 solar-powered) in late 2020. Additionally, the World Bank Group established a USD 12 billion financing envelope for developing countries, which has already supported Cabo Verde in purchasing vaccines and cold chain equipment for 35 percent of its population.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (n.d.). Challenges in vaccine rollout linked to cooling. https://www.seforall.org/node/1870/#13

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. Challenges in vaccine rollout linked to cooling. n.d. https://www.seforall.org/node/1870/#13.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=Challenges in vaccine rollout linked to cooling |url=https://www.seforall.org/node/1870/#13 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sustainableenergyforallndchallenges, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, title = {{Challenges in vaccine rollout linked to cooling}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, url = {https://www.seforall.org/node/1870/#13}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }