Products

Exclusive to fresh product loads, the cold chain also requires maintaining product-specific environmental parameters[2]​ that include air quality levels (carbon dioxide, oxygen, humidity and others).

Vaccines

The cold chain must be used in the supply of vaccines, to distant clinics in hot climates, served by underdeveloped transport networks. Disruption of a cold chain due to war can produce consequences similar to the smallpox outbreaks in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War, during which distributed vaccines became inert due to lack of temperature control in transport.[10]​.

For vaccines in particular, there are different types of cold chains. There is an ultra-low or deep-frozen cold chain for vaccines that require -70°C. The Ebola and COVID-19 vaccines require this level, as do some animal vaccines, such as those for chickens. The frozen chain then requires -20°C. The chickenpox and shingles vaccines require this level.

Then, the refrigerated chain, which requires temperatures between two and eight (2-8) degrees Celsius. Most flu vaccines only require refrigeration.[11]​.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines being developed may require ultracold storage and transportation temperatures as low as −70 degrees Celsius (−94 °F), requiring what has been called a "colder chain" infrastructure.[12] This creates some distribution issues for the Pfizer vaccine. It was estimated that only 25 to 30 countries in the world (as of December 2020) had the infrastructure for the required ultracold cold chain.[11]​.

Contenido

Las cadenas de frío son habituales en las industrias alimentaria y farmacéutica y también en algunos envíos de productos químicos. Un rango de temperatura común para una cadena de frío en las industrias farmacéuticas es de 2 a 8 grados Celsius (35,6 a 46,4 °F), pero las tolerancias específicas de temperatura (y tiempo a temperatura) dependen del producto real que se envía.

Products

Exclusive to fresh product loads, the cold chain also requires maintaining product-specific environmental parameters[2]​ that include air quality levels (carbon dioxide, oxygen, humidity and others).

Vaccines

The cold chain must be used in the supply of vaccines, to distant clinics in hot climates, served by underdeveloped transport networks. Disruption of a cold chain due to war can produce consequences similar to the smallpox outbreaks in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War, during which distributed vaccines became inert due to lack of temperature control in transport.[10]​.

For vaccines in particular, there are different types of cold chains. There is an ultra-low or deep-frozen cold chain for vaccines that require -70°C. The Ebola and COVID-19 vaccines require this level, as do some animal vaccines, such as those for chickens. The frozen chain then requires -20°C. The chickenpox and shingles vaccines require this level.

Then, the refrigerated chain, which requires temperatures between two and eight (2-8) degrees Celsius. Most flu vaccines only require refrigeration.[11]​.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines being developed may require ultracold storage and transportation temperatures as low as −70 degrees Celsius (−94 °F), requiring what has been called a "colder chain" infrastructure.[12] This creates some distribution issues for the Pfizer vaccine. It was estimated that only 25 to 30 countries in the world (as of December 2020) had the infrastructure for the required ultracold cold chain.[11]​.