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Former U.S. citizens and other high-risk groups have chased a wild goose to get the Covid-19 vaccine. The process of circulation has been turbulent in many states and often begins with a false hope that leads to a dead end. Many were unable to register for a meeting or their confirmed appointments were canceled due to shortages.
As a professor of management who has examined complex supply chains over the past 30 years, it is clear to me that several aspects of what makes private systems run efficiently are relevant. vaccine distribution. They are critical to resolving this public health crisis, including clear lines of communication, coordination and a collaborative environment.
In California, for example, it’s hard to tell how websites might be at home for many tech giants like Apple, Facebook, and Google, which work so badly. The Los Angeles County Vaccine Career Covid-19 website crashed within minutes of its launch. The Rite Aid site needs to type in one zip code at a time to see if orders are available within 50 miles. The Ralphs Pharmacies website, at the time of this writing, showed Covid-19 vaccines that were available in “selected locations,” but pharmacy users must check with a pharmacy. It was not clear who, if any, was available. Those who did not offer waiting lists.
As the federal government expands the number of vaccine sites to more pharmacies, university hospitals, and community centers, they have all set up their own websites dedicated to non-affiliated locations. each other. Without clear instructions, the public has become confused about how to set up a meeting and with whom – health care providers, county governments, or local pharmacies. The United States can send a rover to Mars, but the federal government was still unable to smoothly regulate the Covid-19 vaccine circulation process on the ground.
Unlike NASA, or the U.S. military activity with centralized control, the public health system is decentralized under the U.S. Constitution to ensure checks and balances. The federal government sets health policy and allocates resources; however, implementation remains at state and local health authorities. In the absence of real-time information on the supply of vaccines in stock, en route, or on order, and in the absence of real-time coordination between those managing the blows and persons requesting the photographs, it is challenging to recognize the standard bottle. However, the CDC and state governments could have worked together to coordinate vaccine supply and better assess the demand of various eligible groups. That would have made the plan a much smoother spread.
Development of Covid-19 vaccine distribution will begin with clear communication. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on Sunday, “One of the biggest problems right now is that I can’t tell you what vaccine we have, and if I can’t tell you then I can’t tell the regulators and I can’t tell the state health officials. “Despite this shocking news, we value its honesty. It has revealed a communication gap between suppliers and the main customer that needs to be addressed.
The federal government can collect this information by monitoring the amount of vaccines left at Pfizer and Moderna stores and the level and destinations of vaccines carried by UPS and FedEx. These companies have sensors and tracking devices. The information is already out there, but extra effort is needed to put those pieces together.
Federal, state, and local governments can also address this information gap by monitoring the actual supply of Covid-19 vaccines delivered, the amount of loads transferred, inventory available, and designated size. reserved for people with jobs at different places. They should share this information with the public and set the right expectations. Keeping people in the dark creates public anxiety at best and anger worsens.
Real-time information on vaccine provision is essential for state and local health authorities to coordinate vaccine distribution and develop a single website for all meeting schedules. Federal and state governments can certainly enlist technical giants like Google and Amazon to set up such a website and mobile app to supply, demand, and track progress. These companies have the experience to do this, they can do it quickly, and the public already knows them.
In particular, by having information about the availability of vaccinations at each vaccine site, this single appointment system can register for future dates and even provide a waiting list. People could monitor progress at different vaccine sites just like monitoring food delivery.
Federal, state and local health authorities must also cooperate with each other. To speed up the Covid-19 vaccination process and reach herd immunity as quickly as possible, these parties need to work together to improve three things.
First, they need to provide a simple card or questionnaire to help everyone know which group they belong to and whether they deserve it or not. The website should allow users to sign up to be notified when their group becomes eligible. Second, for each eligible group, there should be one website that maps out the steps for the user to follow in order to set up in the future or to go. along with one waiting list in each county. Third, federal, state and local health authorities can provide real-time information about the vaccination process and the estimated date to those on the waiting list.
Process transparency and information can reduce anxiety. People don’t have to do multiple jobs that give wrong design for sizes at different places. Getting information out to better communicate, coordinate and cooperate will speed up the vaccination and end this pandemic.
Christopher S. Tang is a distinguished university professor and chairman of Edward W. Carter in business administration at UCLA Anderson School of Management.