title: Economic benefits of keeping vaccines at ambient temperature during mass vaccination: the case of meningitis A vaccine in Chad.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the potential economic benefits of keeping a meningitis A vaccine at or near ambient temperature for up to 4 days during a mass vaccination campaign.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a 10-day mass vaccination campaign against meningitis A in three regions of Chad in 2011, the costs associated with storage and transport of the vaccine in a traditional cold chain system were evaluated. A mathematical model was used to estimate the savings that could have been achieved if the vaccine had been stored at or near ambient temperature--in a "controlled temperature" chain--at the peripheral levels of the supply chain system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cost of the cold chain and associated logistics used in the campaign in Chad was 0.24 United States dollars (US$) per person vaccinated. In the modelled scenario for a controlled temperature chain, however, these costs dropped by 50% and were estimated to be only US$ 0.12 per person vaccinated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The implementation of a "controlled temperature" chain at the most peripheral levels of the supply chain system--assuming no associated loss of vaccine potency, efficacy or safety--could result in major economic benefits and allow vaccine coverage to be extended in low-resource settings.
authors.affiliation: Expanded Programme on Immunization Plus, World Health Organization, avenue Appia 20, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland .
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lydon
authors.affiliation: PATH, Ferney-Voltaire, France .
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zipursky
authors.affiliation: Expanded Programme on Immunization Plus, World Health Organization, avenue Appia 20, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland .
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tevi-Benissan
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso .
authors.forename: Mamoudou Harouna
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Djingarey
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization, N'Djamena, Chad .
authors.forename: Placide
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gbedonou
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, N'Djamena, Chad .
authors.forename: Brahim Oumar
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Youssouf
authors.affiliation: Expanded Programme on Immunization Plus, World Health Organization, avenue Appia 20, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland .
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zaffran
mesh_terms: D002596:Chad; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D004356:Drug Storage / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D032541:Mass Vaccination / Q000191:economics*; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000191:economics*; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014186:Transportation / Q000191:economics
chemical_list: D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines