On the rise of the new B.1.1.529 variant: Five dimensions of access to a COVID-19 vaccine

Mass COVID-19 vaccination, as the last resort to bring society to a new normal, has been rapidly rolled out in the US. However, because of the lifting of international travel restrictions, amid the many uncertainties induced by the emerging B.1.1.529 variant, it remains unclear about the timeline of reaching herd immunity and when our daily life will return to normalcy. Since access to a vaccine is an important predicate to the achievement of herd immunity, we articulate the vaccine access issue as the degree of fit between patients and the healthcare system in five dimensions: availability, accessibility, accommodation, affordability, and acceptability. These five dimensions can be adopted in existing health practice and policy to elucidate effective strategies for raising COVID-19 vaccination rates and improving vaccine equity in the fight against the new variant.