We examine the problem of allocating a limited supply of vaccine for controlling an infectious disease with the goal of minimizing the effective reproduction number R. We consider an SIR model with two interacting populations and develop an analytical expression that the optimal vaccine allocation must satisfy. With limited vaccine supplies, we find that an all-or-nothing approach is optimal. For certain special cases, we determine the conditions under which the optimal R is below 1. We present an example of vaccine allocation for COVID-19 and show that it is optimal to vaccinate younger individuals before older individuals to minimize R if less than 59% of the population can be vaccinated. The analytical conditions we develop provide a simple means of determining the optimal allocation of vaccine between two population groups to minimize R.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mbs.2021.108654 | DOI Listing |
West Afr J Med
September 2024
Health Policy Research Group, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria Enugu-Campus, Enugu, Nigeria.
Background: This study estimated the cost of providing free maternal and child health (MCH) services at the primary health centre (PHC) level in southeast Nigeria. The costs of providing an essential benefit package of maternal and child health (MCH) services are unknown. Such information is required for optimal resource allocation decisions and for replicating similar programmes in different settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLancet Neurol
February 2025
Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada; Department of Cognitive Neurology, St Joseph's Health Care London, London, ON, Canada. Electronic address:
Background: No treatments exist for apathy in people with frontotemporal dementia. Previously, in a randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-finding study, intranasal oxytocin administration in people with frontotemporal dementia improved apathy ratings on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory over 1 week and, in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study, a single dose of 72 IU oxytocin increased blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal in limbic brain regions. We aimed to determine whether longer treatment with oxytocin improves apathy in people with frontotemporal dementia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClin Trials
January 2025
Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Introduction: The sequential parallel comparison design has emerged as a valuable tool in clinical trials with high placebo response rates. To further enhance its efficiency and effectiveness, adaptive strategies, such as sample size adjustment and allocation ratio modification can be employed.
Methods: We compared the performance of Jennison and Turnbull's method and the Promising Zone approach for sample size adjustment in a two-phase sequential parallel comparison design study.
Viruses
December 2024
NKC Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Songklanagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110, Thailand.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections remain significant public health challenges in Asia, affecting millions and contributing to substantial morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of these infections varies across the region, with factors such as vaccination coverage, healthcare infrastructure, and sociocultural barriers influencing the epidemiology of both viruses. The persistent burden of chronic HBV, particularly in older populations, and the evolving HCV genotype landscape highlight the need for targeted, region-specific strategies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlants (Basel)
January 2025
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
Nitrogen (N) is an essential determinant of strawberry growth and productivity. However, plants exhibit varying preferences for sources of nitrogen, which ultimately affects its use efficiency. Thus, it is imperative to determine the preferred N source for the optimization of indoor strawberry production.
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