Successful immunization programmes are built on functional, end-to-end supply chain and logistics systems. These systems enable effective vaccine storage, distribution, handling, and management, ensure rigorous temperature control in the cold chain; and leverage logistics management information systems to promote resilient and efficient system performance. The ultimate goal is to ensure the uninterrupted availability of quality vaccines from manufacturer to service-delivery levels, so that opportunities to vaccinate are not missed because vaccines are unavailable.

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Supply chain and logistics and IA2030

Despite the success of routine immunization programmes, national vaccine supply chains are under increasing pressure to effectively manage the surge of new vaccine introductions, adapt to the needs of new delivery strategies, and benefit from new technological advances in cold chain equipment to increase their efficiency and effectiveness. Pressure to increase performance is pushing the limits of what can be achieved.

The Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) sets an ambitious, overarching global vision and strategy for vaccines and immunization for the decade 2021–2030, and supply chain and logistics is a key area of focus in the first, overarching strategic priority to ensure that immunization programmes are an integral part of primary health care to achieve universal health coverage:

“Strengthen supply chains to ensure that high-quality vaccines are always available in the right quantity and form at the right time, in the right place and stored and distributed under the right conditions. Promote integration with other supply chains for more effective delivery of primary health care. Invest in systems and infrastructure to safely manage, treat and dispose of vaccine waste to help reduce their environmental footprint.”