Vaccine Cold Chain Nigeria

About Vaccine Cold Chain Nigeria

Maintaining vaccine cold chain in northern Nigeria is particularly challenging due to high temperatures, unreliable electricity, and security concerns. Solar direct drive refrigerators have replaced gas and kerosene powered units in many health facilities. The National Primary Health Care Development Agency deployed thousands of solar refrigerators from 2016 onward. Despite these investments, stockouts persist. Remote settlements require vaccination teams to carry vaccine carriers for days. Boko Haram conflict displaced health workers and destroyed facilities. Polio eradication infrastructure, including cold chain systems and social mobilization networks, has been repurposed for routine immunization. Nigeria has made progress in routine coverage, though it still has one of the largest numbers of unvaccinated children in the world. The cold chain challenges in Nigeria illustrate the infrastructure requirements for vaccination in resource limited settings.