ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the major issues on immunization delivery pertaining to the prevention of childhood immunizable diseases in developing countries. The information as presented serves three purposes: to present a summary of the components of immunization activities, to assist decisionmakers in making more informed decisions on immunization delivery, and to assist the planning of delivery of immunization services through community-based distribution projects. There are numerous vaccines of varying effectiveness and stability available to health workers. The "cold chain" is the logistics system composed of people and equipment that moves and monitors vaccines at acceptable temperatures from the manufacturer to the field. The most organized field program, reaching a high percentage of the target population, is ineffective if the vaccine becomes impotent due to improper refrigeration or handling somewhere along the chain. Vaccines can be stored at the local level in the vaccine carriers they arrive in up to the limit of cold life of the container.
