The global vaccine rollout is a race against time, with some countries already having trouble securing enough of the lifesaving vaccine to protect their citizens. To avoid hoarding and shortages, it’s critical to carefully manage the distribution of available vaccine in a fair and equitable way.
States and localities face a number of challenges as they attempt to implement mass vaccination programs in the face of a surge in COVID-19 cases, record-breaking hospitalizations, and limited staff resources. They must receive, store, distribute, track, and administer vaccines, as well as monitor individuals for adverse reactions. They also must work with partners to build and scale the infrastructure needed to support these efforts, such as testing and tracing facilities.
As the epidemic continues to expand, localities and state health departments must work to improve their ability to reach and vaccinate high-risk populations such as frontline healthcare workers, residents of long-term care facilities, and those with comorbidities. This requires expanding the capacity of vaccination sites and those who are able to administer doses to help address ongoing vaccine hesitancy and antivaccination sentiment.
A key driver of the accelerated vaccine rollout is the availability of scalable digital infrastructure that can be utilized to support vaccination events. Pfizer’s embrace of novel mRNA technology was an important factor, but so too was its rapid deployment of a variety of other digital tools to support the unprecedented demand for vaccines. These include pop-up COVID-19 testing sites, contact tracers at Take Care program hotels, and Test & Trace’s Vaccine Event Management System (VEMS). This infrastructure is helping ensure that all Americans have access to the lifesaving vaccine.
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