UK Core Issue: How Do We Distribute Vaccines?

 

       

        The process of creating and implementing vaccines are quite long and extremely challenging. Many times if a vaccine is needed to combat a certain virus, it takes several years to be developed, tested, and given out in the community. However, the human population does not have this extensive time to waste for the publication of a vaccine for COVID-19, while thousands of people have been affected by and died from the virus all over the world. It has been recently reported that several countries, including the United States, have began the trial process for many COVID-19 vaccines. 

        In the case that one of these vaccines is promising, many. questions will arise about our country and populous cities. Who will receive the vaccine? How much will it cost? Is it trustworthy? These are all valid questions that many people of our country and even those in Lexington will think about when a vaccine is able to be administered to the public.

        If I was the one in charge of deciding the answers to these questions for the city of Lexington, KY, I would look at the city holistically and administrate them on a needs basis. This means that everyone who needs the vaccine will receive it first, as done in a command economy. The way I would classify who "needs" and receives the vaccine is based on their health. If a patient currently has COVID-19, and the vaccine will fight off the virus, then this patient would receive the vaccine first among the citizens of Lexington. Everyone who wants to receive the drug, will be tested first. Those who test positive, will receive the vaccine within 24 hours to ensure that their immune system does not fight off the virus first, Once all positive patients have received a vaccine, the next stage of people will be able to receive the drug. These people will be those who have compromised immune systems, due to an another health issue, such as cancer or asthma. These diseases greatly impact the immune system and make it much more difficult to fight off other viruses. Therefore, it is important that these people receive the drug rather quickly before they contract the virus. Next, people who have not yet had the virus and do not have the antibodies against it will recieve the vaccination. Lastly, if there is any vaccines left over after the prior groups, the vaccine would be available to those who had COVID-19 and the rest of the city's population. 

        Due to large invests from the United States government, the vaccine should cost people relatively nothing. At most, it will be around $25. This inexpensive price makes it available to anyone who needs it, even whose who do not have insurance. The vaccine would be a flat cost and would be the same to everyone. Although the process might have been rushed, the vaccine would be entirely safe, due to the immense testing and trials that it would have been put through. Therefore, the people of Lexington would not have to worry about fatal side effects from receiving the vaccine.