Planning for a COVID-19 Vaccination Program

Abstract

The long-term solution to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, hopefully, will be a globally implemented, safe vaccination program that has broad clinical and socioeconomic benefits. Dozens of vaccines are in development, with 8 currently in phase 1 trials. Some scenarios predict the earliest, widespread availability of a COVID-19 vaccine to be in 2021. 1 As launches of prior mass vaccination programs have demonstrated, careful planning to ensure readiness of both the general public and the health community for a COVID-19 vaccine should begin now.To substantially reduce morbidity and mortality from COVID-19, an efficacious and safe vaccine must be delivered swiftly and broadly to the public as soon as it is available. However, the mere availability of a vaccine is insufficient to guarantee broad immunological protection; the vaccine must also be acceptable to both the health community and general public. Vaccine hesitancy is a major barrier to vaccine uptake and the achievement of herd immunity, which is required to protect the most vulnerable populations. Depending on varying biological, environmental, and sociobehavioral factors, the threshold for COVID-19 herd immunity may be between 55% and 82% of the population. 2

Beliefs and Barriers Associated with COVID-19 Vaccination Among the General Population in Saudi Arabia

“…During the rst 6 months, more than 10 million COVID-19 cases were con rmed worldwide, out of which more than 20 thousand were in Saudi Arabia [3]. Although none of the underdevelopment COVID-19 vaccines have reached the market [4,5], vaccination is considered the most effective strategy for preventing the pandemic and avoiding complications associated with the disease. However, many studies [6,7] have shown that the decision to take available vaccines is dependent on beliefs and perceptions.…”

When it is available, will we take it? Public perception of hypothetical COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria

“…6 The long term solution to COVID-19, however, would most likely be a safe, globally implemented vaccination program with a broad range of clinical and socioeconomic benefits. 7 It is of point to note that vaccination is one of the greatest achievements of modern medicine. It is the greatest human intervention besides clean water and sanitation.…”

Modeling and Controlling Epidemic Outbreaks: The Role of Population Size, Model Heterogeneity and Fast Response in the Case of Measles

“…Theorem 2. Suppose that delay between detection and intervention is larger if the case is detected in the other subgroup, σ ≥ and that everything else, the total number of infections and detected cases is the same as in the homogenous case, Z 1 (t) + Z 2 (t) = Z(t) for all t. The stopping time in the homogenous case is then the same as in one of the subgroups but before the stopping time in the other subgroup, τ = τ (2) ≤ τ (1) ≤ τ + σ − .…”

“…Hence, τ = τ + = min τ 1 , τ 2 + = τ (2) . Obviously, τ (2) ≤ τ (1) . The last inequality, τ (1) ≤ τ + σ − follows from the definition of the stopping time (20) and (21).…”

“…A potential COVID-19 vaccine provides hope for containing the pandemic. Public health officials need to plan for the implementation of vaccination programs while also considering the vaccine hesitancy (necessity, safety and freedom of choice) [1]. Insights from other well-known diseases, especially ones with a similar epidemic progression structure, can help public officials in decision making.…”