Beyond COVID-19 Pandemic: Topology-aware optimisation of vaccination strategy for minimising virus spreading

TL;DR

This paper proposes a topology-aware optimization approach for vaccination strategies to more effectively minimize virus spread by considering the contact network structure, beyond traditional prioritization methods.

Contribution

It introduces a novel network topology-aware model for optimizing vaccination strategies, improving upon existing prioritization criteria by accounting for contact network structures.

Findings

Topology-aware strategies outperform traditional prioritization in simulations

Network structure significantly influences virus spread dynamics

Optimized vaccination plans reduce infection rates more effectively

Abstract

The mitigation of an infectious disease spreading has recently gained considerable attention from the research community. It may be obtained by adopting sanitary measurements social rules, together with an extensive vaccination campaign. Vaccination is currently the primary way for mitigating the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak without severe lockdown. Its effectiveness also depends on the number and timeliness of administrations and thus demands strict prioritization criteria. Almost all countries have prioritized similar classes of exposed workers obtaining to maximize the survival of patients and years of life saved. The mitigation of an infectious disease spreading has recently gained considerable attention from the research community. It may be obtained by adopting sanitary measurements, social rules, together with an extensive vaccination campaign. Vaccination is currently the primary way for mitigating the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak without severe lockdown. Its effectiveness also depends on the number and timeliness of administrations and thus demands strict prioritization criteria. Almost all countries have prioritized similar classes of exposed workers: healthcare professionals and the elderly, obtaining to maximize the survival of patients and years of life saved. Nevertheless, the virus is currently spreading at high rates, and any prioritization criterion so far adopted did not account for the structural organization of the contact networks.