ArticleBMC health services research2026
Assessing vaccine cold chain storage and transport in Ukraine: a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC health services research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Understanding Ukraine's immunization supply chain resilience in the face of war: a mixed-method study.Conflict and health · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThis study aimed to monitor risks of temperature excursions along vaccine distribution routes in Ukraine to identify weaknesses and recommend improvements.
methodsThis cross-sectional study followed the World Health Organization’s temperature monitoring protocol. Vaccine shipments along randomly selected distribution routes were monitored using loggers, recording temperatures at 20 min intervals across all levels of the cold chain. The collected data were analysed to assess compliance with the recommended range and identify instances of heat and freeze exposure.
resultsA total of 72040.1 h were recorded from July 2024 to October 2024 across 48 distribution routes. The recorded temperature ranged from − 13.6 °C to + 28.4 °C. The level of compliance with the recommended temperature range varied by immunisation supply chain level and across facilities at a given level. The highest compliance (~ 100%) was observed at national and oblast stores and during transits between these levels. At the same time, the lowest compliance (88.8%) during storage was observed at primary healthcare centre (PHC) sub-offices, with three of such facilities failing to maintain the recommended range at any point during the study. Additionally, 20 freeze and five heat alarms were recorded at this level, indicative of prolonged exposures. During transits to PHC and sub-offices, compliance was achieved during 54.8% and 60.3% of the recorded time, respectively. Furthermore, eight transits to PHC and 15 to PHC sub-offices failed to maintain temperatures within the required range throughout the transit.
conclusionsWhile Ukraine’s vaccine cold chain system is effective at higher levels, temperature excursions were common at lower levels, particularly in PHC sub-offices and during transport to lower-level facilities. Equipment malfunctions, gaps in knowledge and lack of procedures, compounded by power outages and lack of power supply contingencies, are probable causes. Systematically identifying and documenting temperature excursions and assessing the potential damage to vaccines are recommended immediate actions. Providing further qualified equipment, ensuring resilient power supply, strengthening training, and improving procedures and supervision to prevent and mitigate risks of temperature excursion incidents are longer-term recommended actions. Implementing these actions would strengthen Ukraine’s immunisation supply chain resilience, ensuring safe and effective immunisation services.
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