Speeding vaccination – a supply chain problem

Many critics have emerged on COVID19 vaccination speed.  News channels have interviewed experts who seem confused as to why we are giving vaccines so slowly.  They should read the work of Eliyahu Goldratt who championed the Theory of Constraints.  His books could certainly help policy makers look at vaccination queues in a very different way. In his novel, The Goal, he wrote: … the professor discloses the Theory of Constraints: “A bottleneck is any resource whose capacity is equal to or less than the demand placed upon it. A non-bottleneck is any resource whose capacity is greater than the demand placed on it.” Jonah carefully explains that Alex must NOT try to balance capacity with demand, but instead balance the flow of product through the plant.  Our current capacity for delivering vaccines does not meet the demand.  Thus, we have a clear bottleneck.  What makes this even more complex is that we currently have multiple bottlenecks in vaccine distribution.  Unfortunately, each state develops its own bottlenecks.  In my state, the Department of Public Health has written this policy: Beginning the week of December 28, residents and employees of Long-Term Care facilities began receiving vaccination through the federal Pharmacy Partnership.  Once persons in Phase 1a have been offered the vaccine, Alabama will move into Phase 1b. This policy has developed a bottleneck.  We are waiting for everyone in Phase 1a...
Source: DB's Medical Rants - Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Tags: Medical Rants Source Type: blogs