Prioritizing COVID-19 vaccine allocation in resource poor settings: Towards an Artificial Intelligence-enabled and Geospatial-assisted decision support framework.

<h4>Objectives</h4>To propose a novel framework for COVID-19 vaccine allocation based on three components of Vulnerability, Vaccination, and Values (3Vs).<h4>Methods</h4>A combination of geospatial data analysis and artificial intelligence methods for evaluating vulnerability...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Soheil Shayegh, Javier Andreu-Perez, Caroline Akoth, Xavier Bosch-Capblanch, Shouro Dasgupta, Giacomo Falchetta, Simon Gregson, Ahmed T Hammad, Mark Herringer, Festus Kapkea, Alvaro Labella, Luca Lisciotto, Luis Martínez, Peter M Macharia, Paulina Morales-Ruiz, Njeri Murage, Vittoria Offeddu, Andy South, Aleksandra Torbica, Filippo Trentini, Alessia Melegaro
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2023-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0275037
Description
Summary:<h4>Objectives</h4>To propose a novel framework for COVID-19 vaccine allocation based on three components of Vulnerability, Vaccination, and Values (3Vs).<h4>Methods</h4>A combination of geospatial data analysis and artificial intelligence methods for evaluating vulnerability factors at the local level and allocate vaccines according to a dynamic mechanism for updating vulnerability and vaccine uptake.<h4>Results</h4>A novel approach is introduced including (I) Vulnerability data collection (including country-specific data on demographic, socioeconomic, epidemiological, healthcare, and environmental factors), (II) Vaccination prioritization through estimation of a unique Vulnerability Index composed of a range of factors selected and weighed through an Artificial Intelligence (AI-enabled) expert elicitation survey and scientific literature screening, and (III) Values consideration by identification of the most effective GIS-assisted allocation of vaccines at the local level, considering context-specific constraints and objectives.<h4>Conclusions</h4>We showcase the performance of the 3Vs strategy by comparing it to the actual vaccination rollout in Kenya. We show that under the current strategy, socially vulnerable individuals comprise only 45% of all vaccinated people in Kenya while if the 3Vs strategy was implemented, this group would be the first to receive vaccines.
ISSN:1932-6203