This Teen Invented a Lifesaving Vehicle

Every year, 1.5 million kids around the world die as a result of not getting vaccines. This is partly due to the fact that transporting and storing medicines can be a huge challenge in some countries. 

Anurudh Ganesan, 17, knows this firsthand. When he was a baby ­living in India, his grandparents ­carried him 10 miles to a health clinic in a remote village so he could receive a vaccine. (Vaccines are ­substances that stimulate the immune system to protect the body from diseases, such as the measles or meningitis.) But by the time the family arrived at the clinic, the ­vaccines were no longer usable because they had overheated. 

Vaccines, Anurudh later learned, must be kept cool to stay effective. But refrigerating them requires electricity or ice—precious resources that many developing countries lack. In fact, there are an estimated 1.2 billion people in the world who don’t have reliable electricity.

Although Anurudh eventually received the vaccine he needed, his experience as a baby—and the sad reality that so many other children aren’t as lucky—prompted the aspiring engineer to take action. 

The high school student recently invented Vaxxwagon, a portable vaccine-­car­rying device that generates its own power to keep lifesaving medicines cool as they’re delivered to remote areas around the world.

“In this day and age, nobody should die from vaccine-preventable diseases,” Anurudh says.

Every year, 1.5 million kids around the world die as a result of not getting vaccines. This is partly due to the fact that transporting and storing medicines can be a huge challenge in some countries.

Anurudh Ganesan, 17, knows this firsthand. When he was a baby living in India, his grandparents carried him 10 miles to a health clinic in a faraway village so he could receive a vaccine. (Vaccines are substances that stimulate the immune system to protect the body from diseases, such as the measles or meningitis.) By the time the family arrived at the clinic, Anurudh could not be vaccinated. The vaccines were no longer usable because they had overheated.

Later, Anurudh learned that vaccines must be kept cool to stay effective. But refrigerating them requires electricity or ice. These are precious resources that many developing countries lack. In fact, an estimated 1.2 billion people in the world don’t have reliable electricity.

Anurudh eventually received the vaccine he needed. However, he realized that many other children aren’t so lucky. This realization and his experience as a baby led him to take action.

The high school student recently invented Vaxxwagon. It is a portable vaccine-carrying device that produces its own power. The device keeps lifesaving medicines cool as they’re delivered to remote areas around the world.

“In this day and age, nobody should die from vaccine-preventable diseases,” Anurudh says.

Anurudh first got his idea for Vaxxwagon in 2014. He read several textbooks to learn everything he could about refrigeration, then he did research online to learn more about vaccines. Next, he began formulating his ideas on paper. 

Rather than relying on electricity or ice, Anurudh figured out a way to use wheels to power a refrigeration system for about eight hours. The entire rechargeable cooling system can be pulled to areas in need of vaccines by a ­bicycle, a car, or an animal. (See “How Vaxxwagon Works.”)

Eventually, Anurudh took his design to professors at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland for advice. Not only did they confirm that Vaxxwagon could work, they offered him funding to help build it. 

Anurudh first got his idea for Vaxxwagon in 2014. He read several textbooks to learn everything he could about refrigeration. He then did research online to learn more about vaccines. Next, he began formulating his ideas on paper.

Rather than relying on electricity or ice, Anurudh figured out a way to use wheels to power a refrigeration system for about eight hours. The entire rechargeable cooling system can be pulled to areas in need of vaccines by a bicycle, a car, or an animal. (See “How Vaxxwagon Works.”)

Eventually, Anurudh took his design to professors at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland for advice. They confirmed that Vaxxwagon could work. They also offered him funding to help build it. 

After nearly two years of refining a half-dozen prototypes, Anurudh has a patent pending for his latest design of Vaxxwagon. He also won the 2015 Google Science Fair LEGO® Education Builder Award for his invention. And in April, he demonstrated how it works to President Barack Obama at the annual White House Science Fair.

But Anurudh says his ultimate goal is to start selling Vaxxwagon to relief organizations by the end of the year so it can be used to help people around the world. 

“In my mind,” Anurudh says, “the Vaxxwagon will be a success as soon as it saves a life. If it can save one life, it can save many more.”

Anurudh, who plans to pursue an engineering degree in college, says his advice for other teen inventors is simple.

“Don’t give up on your ideas,” Anurudh says. “But always try to help others with your projects. That’s the point of engineering—to help people.”

After nearly two years of refining a half-dozen prototypes, Anurudh has a patent pending for his latest design of Vaxxwagon. He also won the 2015 Google Science Fair LEGO^® Education Builder Award for his invention. And in April, he demonstrated how it works to President Barack Obama at the annual White House Science Fair.

But Anurudh says his ultimate goal is to start selling Vaxxwagon to relief organizations by the end of the year. He wants it to be used to help people around the world.

“In my mind,” Anurudh says, “the Vaxxwagon will be a success as soon as it saves a life. If it can save one life, it can save many more.”

Anurudh plans to pursue an engineering degree in college. He says his advice for other teen inventors is simple.

“Don’t give up on your ideas,” Anurudh says. “But always try to help others with your projects. That’s the point of engineering—to help people.”