This research, prepared by Thoughts in Gear, assesses the social value of vaccine cold chain equipment. The term “social value” represents the costs saved to society and the benefits derived from reduced illness and mortality.

While the social value of immunization can be conservatively estimated and quantified, a greater portion of a vaccine cold chain unit’s intrinsic value from  its reliability, longevity and accessibility, as well as the resulting impact on society of immunization, cannot yet be measured. As such, the broader social value of each cold chain unit must be examined in a qualitative manner.