UNT researchers develop computer program to distribute COVID-19 vaccine
Researchers at the University of North Texas want to use a computer program they developed to help Tarrant County respond to a bioterrorism attack for COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
“We started developing this program 12 years ago,” said Marty O’Neill, director of computational epidemiology and response analysis at UNT’s Department of Biological Sciences. “What used to take months of planning, in some cases, now takes under an hour with this program.”
The latest version is designed to help health workers plan efficient and reliable mass vaccination efforts. It was originally designed to mobilize hundreds of 18-wheelers filled with pallets of antibiotics to treat people after an aerosolized anthrax attack, O’Neill said.
Tarrant County opened a mass COVID-19 vaccination site at the Hurst Conference Center on Tuesday in addition to the county’s initial location at the Tarrant County Conference and Recreation Center and Arlington’s site at the Esports Stadium. People being vaccinated now include first responders, health care workers, people 65 and over and those under 65 with an underlying health condition.
County health officials have not disclosed plans to administer the vaccine to the general public but when they do, UNT’s program can help ensure the places of distribution are located and staffed efficiently, according to O’Neill.
The program uses a geographic information system to help public health planners place vaccine distribution sites based on demographics and the needs of each community. The program includes data to help allocate services for people with disabilities, non-English speakers and people who rely on public transportation.
Uninsured populations
In addition to identifying which areas might need translators, easier accessibility, or more vaccination clinics, O’Neill’s team added the ability to explore where there are high rates of uninsured populations.
In regions where COVID-19 vaccinations are being distributed to physician offices, health agencies will need to understand how to make vaccines available to their uninsured populations who do not have a medical provider, O’Neill said.
“Public health agencies need to be able to choose where to place vaccination sites and determine how to distribute special resources to serve vulnerable populations,” O’Neill said. “We have worked to make the system as flexible as possible knowing that jurisdictions will need a variety of approaches to meet the needs of their communities.”
The program has been used by the Texas Department of State Health Services and by Los Angeles and Orange counties in California. Planners from all eight Texas Department of State Health Service regions have expressed interest in using the system for COVID-19 vaccination planning, but UNT is still looking for funding to finalize its beta version and make it available nationwide.
