Vaccines, sera, hormones, laboratory reagents and many life saving medicines require special handling during transportation. The most important and essential is maintenance of temperature .This is called "Cold Chain Maintenance"

If this chain is disturbed at any stage, the result would be:

1. The vaccine will become ineffective because of loss ofsubstance
2. The vaccine may become extremely hazardous due to multiplication of microorganisms

There are increasing reports that the cold chain is not honored in many parts (specially the remote areas) of Pakistan. Research has revealed that fault lies in transport mechanism of distributors as manufacturers and retailers do observe this cold chain. From the distributors, the vaccines are transported to retail shops in ordinary vehicles not having AC and even on carts driven by donkeys. The packets of vaccines do not have ice-plates. The most tragic thing is the drug inspectors of ministry of health are not trained in handling such problems and the government labs do not have necessary instruments and technique to verify quality of vaccines. Awareness in people about the cold chain maintenance, strict legislation to punish the offenders and up gradation of monitoring and evaluation system of ministry of health is required.

It is moral duty of manufacturers / re-packers to ensure they appoint right type of distributors. The distributors should train and educate their field force in the importance of maintenance of cold chain. They should ensure use of ice-plates in areas where refrigeration is not possible.