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. 2021 Oct 15;9(10):1181.
doi: 10.3390/vaccines9101181.

A Data-Driven Digital Application to Enhance the Capacity Planning of the COVID-19 Vaccination Process

Berend Markhorst  1 , Tara Zver  1 , Nina Malbasic  1 , Renze Dijkstra  1 , Daan Otto  1 , Rob van der Mei  1   2 , Dennis Moeke  3
Affiliations

A Data-Driven Digital Application to Enhance the Capacity Planning of the COVID-19 Vaccination Process

Berend Markhorst et al. Vaccines (Basel). .

Abstract

In this paper, a decision support system (DSS) is presented that focuses on the capacity planning of the COVID-19 vaccination process in the Netherlands. With the Dutch national vaccination priority list as the starting point, the DSS aims to minimize the per-class waiting-time with respect to (1) the locations of the medical hubs (i.e., the vaccination locations) and (2) the distribution of the available vaccines and healthcare professionals (over time). As the user is given the freedom to experiment with different starting positions and strategies, the DSS is ideally suited for providing support in the dynamic environment of the COVID-19 vaccination process. In addition to the DSS, a mathematical model to support the assignment of inhabitants to medical hubs is presented. This model has been satisfactorily implemented in practice in close collaboration with the Dutch Municipal and Regional Health Service (GGD GHOR Nederland).

Keywords: COVID-19; decision support system; last-mile; vaccination logistics; vaccination planning.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Verification of the placement of hubs by checking the maximum travel distance constraint (in this example 60 km).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Overview of the location and number of medical hubs when applying the model to the Netherlands.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Fraction of vaccinated persons over time for each priority class.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Allocation of vaccines across the medical hubs over time.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The fraction of persons who have received their first vaccine shot over time on a national level (for each priority class).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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