A mathematical programming approach for equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution in developing countries

Developing countries scramble to contain and mitigate the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and world leaders demand equitable distribution of vaccines to trigger economic recovery. Although numerous strategies, including education, quarantine, and immunization, have been used to control COVID-19, the best method to curb this disease is vaccination. Due to the high demand for COVID 19 vaccine, developing countries must carefully identify and prioritize vulnerable populations and rationalize the vaccine allocation process. This study presents a mixed-integer linear programming model for equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution in developing countries. Vaccines are grouped into cold, very cold, and ultra-cold categories where specific refrigeration is required for their storage and distribution. The possibility of storage for future periods, facing a shortage, budgetary considerations, manufacturer selection, order allocation, time-dependent capacities, and grouping of the heterogeneous population are among the practical assumptions in the proposed approach. Real-world data is used to demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the mathematical programming approach proposed in this study.