J Clin Med . Optimal Allocation of the Limited COVID-19 Vaccine Supply in South Korea

[tetano]

J Clin Med


. 2021 Feb 4;10(4):591.
doi: 10.3390/jcm10040591.
Optimal Allocation of the Limited COVID-19 Vaccine Supply in South Korea


Eunha Shim ¹



Affiliations

• PMID: 33557344
• DOI: 10.3390/jcm10040591

Abstract

Initial supply of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine may be limited, necessitating its effective use. Herein, an age-structured model of COVID-19 spread in South Korea is parameterized to understand the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19. The model determines optimal vaccine allocation for minimizing infections, deaths, and years of life lost while accounting for population factors, such as country-specific age distribution and contact structure, and various levels of vaccine efficacy. A transmission-blocking vaccine should be prioritized in adults aged 20-49 years and those older than 50 years to minimize the cumulative incidence and mortality, respectively. A strategy to minimize years of life lost involves the vaccination of adults aged 40-69 years, reflecting the relatively high case-fatality rates and years of life lost in this age group. An incidence-minimizing vaccination strategy is highly sensitive to vaccine efficacy, and vaccines with lower efficacy should be administered to teenagers and adults aged 50-59 years. Consideration of age-specific contact rates and vaccine efficacy is critical to optimize vaccine allocation. New recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines under consideration by the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are mainly based on a mortality-minimizing allocation strategy.

Keywords: COVID-19; Korea; SARS-CoV-2; mathematical model; optimal strategy; vaccine; vaccine allocation strategy.