Commentary: “How game theory could solve the COVID vaccine rollout puzzle”
In light of the recent pandemic, many Americans are experiencing long lines for vaccines, long wait times for testing, and other inconveniences surrounding a key healthcare initiative: getting vaccinated. Vaccination against COVID-19 has been cited and studied as the singular best way to combat the pandemic, and with American vaccination rates already skyrocketing and people pushing to get vaccines, wait times are increasing. This is detrimental to the pandemic solution as people are getting turned away at some vaccination sites, while in other areas, vaccines are expiring due to lack of use. In this article, Luke Muggy, an operations researcher, argues how game theory analysis could and should be used to solve the problem of vaccine operations nationwide.
In class, our study of game theory and the concept of equilibrium is fascinating to me, as it can be used in a wide variety of applications to motivate efficiency, a key aspect of operations research. In this scenario of vaccinations, arguably the most critical public health measure in current society, game theory and mathematical analysis need to be used to engineer traffic of vaccinations, in order to increase national vaccination rates and build herd immunity, while capitalizing on the vaccines that we have before they expire. Muggy says game theory is the “key to more efficient, faster vaccine distribution.”
The game should be formulated as such: the players are individuals seeking vaccination, and the “payoffs” are ” how individuals perceive the risk of vaccination, distance traveled, and level of service available at a chosen facility.” Formulating the situation in this way is critical to solving the vaccination problem. Equilibrium solutions to this game theory problem would motivate mass transportation to crowded vaccine sites, redistribution of vaccines, and moving staff from one vaccination site to another. In this way, more Americans could get vaccinated leading to a faster, more efficient end to the pandemic.
Through our class study, I agree with Muggy that game theory can and should be researched and implemented to solve the COVID-19 vaccine problem. Research needs to be done, and if an equilibrium is determined, wait times could be drastically decreased, less vaccines would expire, and more Americans would reach immunity. This is especially important with the concept of a third vaccine being approved for Americans, leading to an even greater herd immunity rate. Muggy supports the efficient solution as such: researchers can “ensure these solutions minimize the scarcity of vaccines across centers, minimize the cumulative distance traveled and congestion at facilities, or maximize efficient and equitable access to vaccines.” Game theory is key to solving this COVID vaccination problem, and I am excited to read more about research in the future that applies game theory to modern problems. Mathematical analysis is crucial in operations, and game theory especially is important for problem solving.
Source: https://fortune.com/2021/03/10/covid-vaccine-rollout-public-health-game-theory/
FORTUNE.com: How game theory could solve the COVID vaccine rollout puzzle
BY LUKE MUGGY
March 10, 2021 5:30 PM EST