EPI’s Robust Cold Chain Ensuring Vaccines’ Safety From Impacts Of Sizzling Heat

The strong cold chain established by Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) for maintaining efficacy of precious vaccines intact is also helping in protection of lifesaving drugs from the impacts of climate change especially sizzling heat

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd May, 2024) The strong cold chain established by Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) for maintaining efficacy of precious vaccines intact is also helping in protection of lifesaving drugs from the impacts of climate change especially sizzling heat.

“The cold chain developed in the country ensures safety of the vaccines from airports in metropolitan cities on receiving of vials to transportation to different parts including remote mountainous regions for administration to children and communities,” observed Dr. Muhammad Arif Director EPI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The role of cold chain is like a back bone in maintaining the potency of vaccine intact otherwise the whole exercises goes into waste, draining millions of rupees besides endangering precious lives of large number of people. In KP Dr. Arif told APP, the cold chain system comprises of 50 cold rooms in different districts, 3500 Ice Lined Refrigerators (ILRs), Remote Temperature Monitor Devises (RTMDs) in 27 districts, pool of refrigerated trucks and provincial level dash board for monitoring temperature fluctuation in different facilities.

The cold chain network starts from union council level and expands up to division level by passing through tehsil and district levels. The vaccines are procured from international organizations and are being supplied in every nook and corner of the province to more than 1.3 million children. The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) KP is providing vaccination to children under the age of two against twelve perilous diseases.

The Primary focus is to immunize children against diseases such as Childhood Tuberculosis (TB), Polio, Diarrhoea, Pneumonia, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hepatitis-B, Meningitis, Measles, and Rubella.

For protection of vaccines from impacts of climate change strict vigilance is being made on functioning of cold chain, he added.

In this regard, Dr. Arif continued, digitization of EPI is also under progress to ensure an unbroken cold chain.

For ensuring continuity of cold process during summer season when electricity supply fluctuates due to load shedding, solar system has been installed for around more than 600 Ice Lined Refrigerators.

For cold rooms, backup systems are also installed by arranging generators to keep the vaccine safe in a required temperature of 2 to 8 degree celcius, he informed. Dr. Arif said there are around 35 hundred vaccinators associated with EPI and are engaged in carrying different immunization programmes in the province for safety of children.

In response to a question about technical fault in cooling system, Director EPI said technicians are hired who provide service promptly to rectify the fault and keep the system running. EPI has also developed chain of mobile workshops which can be approached in case of fault in any system and problem be rectified on time.

Dr. Arif also thanked international organizations like World Health Organization (WHO), Unicef and Gavi for providing help in shape of provision of mobile refrigerators, mobile workshops and tablets to keep the cold chain intact and maintain the effectiveness of vaccine intact in all seasons.