tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Vaccine
. 2020 Dec 9;S0264-410X(20)31589-9.
doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.12.022. Online ahead of print.
An inventory-location optimization model for equitable influenza vaccine distribution in developing countries during the COVID-19 pandemic
Mehdi Rastegar[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Madjid Tavana[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Afshin Meraj[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Hassan Mina[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
The addition of other respiratory illnesses such as flu could cripple the healthcare system during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. An annual seasonal influenza vaccine is the best way to help protect against flu. Fears of coronavirus have intensified the shortage of influenza shots in developing countries that hope to vaccinate many populations to reduce stress on their health services. We present an inventory-location mixed-integer linear programming model for equitable influenza vaccine distribution in developing countries during the pandemic. The proposed model utilizes an equitable objective function to distribute vaccines to critical healthcare providers and first responders, elderly, pregnant women, and those with underlying health conditions. We present a case study in a developing country to exhibit efficacy and demonstrate the optimization model's applicability.
Keywords: Healthcare equitability; Influenza virus; Inventory-location problem; Mixed-integer linear programming; Vaccine supply chain.
. 2020 Dec 9;S0264-410X(20)31589-9.
doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.12.022. Online ahead of print.
An inventory-location optimization model for equitable influenza vaccine distribution in developing countries during the COVID-19 pandemic
Mehdi Rastegar[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Madjid Tavana[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Afshin Meraj[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Hassan Mina[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33342632
- DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.12.022
Abstract
The addition of other respiratory illnesses such as flu could cripple the healthcare system during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. An annual seasonal influenza vaccine is the best way to help protect against flu. Fears of coronavirus have intensified the shortage of influenza shots in developing countries that hope to vaccinate many populations to reduce stress on their health services. We present an inventory-location mixed-integer linear programming model for equitable influenza vaccine distribution in developing countries during the pandemic. The proposed model utilizes an equitable objective function to distribute vaccines to critical healthcare providers and first responders, elderly, pregnant women, and those with underlying health conditions. We present a case study in a developing country to exhibit efficacy and demonstrate the optimization model's applicability.
Keywords: Healthcare equitability; Influenza virus; Inventory-location problem; Mixed-integer linear programming; Vaccine supply chain.