Quantifying Responsiveness in the Vaccine Industry to Evaluate and Improve Pandemic Response

Abstract

In the wake of the pandemic Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) we can look at many aspects of the global response, including social, scientific, and governmental. Current research in the areas of vaccine development and manufacturing find the process of developing a new vaccine takes an especially long time and is unresponsive. Understanding the factors that influence responsiveness can help organizations be better prepared to address the needs of society should another pandemic strike. Responsiveness can be linked to product, process, and volume. The vaccine development and manufacturing process historically takes years to reach distribution for public use. In the face of potential pandemics, learning from SARS-CoV-2 vaccine responsiveness will provide essential information for future decision making. This paper will propose a method to quantify and evaluate the responsiveness of manufacturing processes and vaccine development within the vaccine industry by considering various elements of an organization’s vaccine development and supply chain process. We created a model to evaluate characteristics within the supply chain for vaccine delivery. The model can be used to better understand an organization’s strengths and weaknesses in their supply chain. In turn, an organization can be better prepared to act swiftly against a future pandemic.