Vaccine distribution strategies amidst COVID-19

Abstract

lndia started the first Covid-19 vaccination drive in January, vaccinating the healthcare workers, then targeted the front-line workers in the month of February and started it for the general population in March. lndia exported 6o million doses between January and the end of February to many other countries, as stated by the CEO of the Serum Institute of India (Sll). Also, we didn't allow exports of other vaccines like Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, which may not have been helpful in some areas due to specific requirements but could have captured big cities and hospitals. We could have vaccinated a greater number of people till March, if we were well prepared with app, web platform, and other supply chain resources. lf this could have been possible, the severity of the second wave could have been less, and we could have tackled the situation well. Thus, we have tried to identify key challenges in the supply chain and vaccine distribution through this project report. We have also formulated a strategy for efficient vaccine distribution with the application of the lean principle. We have also highlighted how digital technologies and existing distribution networks could be leveraged in vaccine distribution. Finally, we have touched upon the role of the private sector and how public-private partnerships could be leveraged to make this supply chain more efficient.