Vaccine network design to maximize immunization coverage

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has forced countries to consider how reach vulnerable communities with extended outreach services improve vaccination uptake. authors created an optimization model align decision-makers' objective maximize immunization coverage within constrained budgets and deploy resources considering empirical data endogenous demand. Design/methodology/approach A mixed integer program (MIP) determines the location of sites resource deployment across health centers sites. validated evaluated approach in consultation UNICEF using a case study from Gambia. Findings Results Gambia showed that by opening new optimizing allocation scheduling, Ministry Health could increase 91.0 97.1% under same budget. Case solutions informed managerial insights drive gains vaccine even without application sophisticated tools. Originality/value research LMIC distribution modeling literature two ways: first, calculation demand as function distance facility enabled effective design network around convenience community second, model's bundle concept more accurately flexibly represented complex requirements costs for specific resources, which facilitated buy-in stakeholders responsible managing budgets. paper also demonstrated leverage spatial analysis publicly available demographic geographic effectively represent important contextual factors.