How F-gases are critical in the safe delivery of vaccines

Vaccines protect billions of people globally from diseases like smallpox, polio, measles, diphtheria and, as we’ve seen most recently, coronavirus. To be safe for use they need to be stored and transported at controlled temperatures.

F-gases are integral to the vaccine cold chain, being  used as refrigerants to cool the vaccines to their required temperatures. This is often between 2°C and 8°C but, in some cases, it can be as low as -70°C.

Vaccine programmes prefer to use F-gases to other refrigerants because they offer a unique combination of sustainability, safety and performance. They are non-toxic and non-flammable, making them safe and stable for transport by air, rail and road.

As well as being a key component in vaccine refrigeration, F-gases are also widely used in insulation as foam-blowing agents, which are used to safely insulate the vehicles that are used to transport vaccines. In hotter climates, particularly, where tropical diseases can be prevalent, refrigerated transport and storage units are crucial for vaccine distribution.

Without the use of F-gases in refrigerant and insulation, it would be impossible to transport lifesaving vaccines all over the world, putting millions of peoples’ lives at risk.