Blockchain application in the distribution chain of the COVID-19 vaccine: a designing understudy
Authors: Eng. Leonardo López Ramírez, PhD (leonardo.ramirez@unimilitar.edu.co)1 and Eng. Nicolas Beltrán Álvarez (u1401152@unimilitar.edu.co)1
1Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Bogotá-Colombia
Abstract: The impact of COVID-19 has challenged science in its quest to control and mitigate it through a new vaccine. This is why the world’s research centers and laboratories are in serious competition over time to offer humanity an effective vaccine that prevents the spread of this virus. From a technological point of view, the challenge is to manage the distribution of this next vaccine, from its generation anywhere in the world, to the site of application to the population. The research results approximate the solution to the design of a secure Blockchain-based supply chain surveillance design, to control the variables and critical points of the next distribution of vaccines worldwide. The expected impact of the application of this new design will be the confidence of the population in the quality of the vaccine, in the generating laboratory, and it supplies.
Research question: Is it possible to implement Blockchain to track and control the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine?
Introduction: The different actions of society and its governments demand an appropriate distribution chain.
The number of infected and demand for instruments: by the beginning of April 2020, almost one million people were diagnosed as carriers of COVID -19 (González Jaramillo et al., 2020); currently, many countries continue with their borders closed and this causes the closure of imports that causes a shortage of various medical supplies, such as masks, gloves, disinfectants, toilet paper, among others. In addition to a significant change in the income of families, who request humanitarian aid, reduction of taxes, freezing of incomes, among others. (Otoya-Tono AM, García M, Jaramillo-Moncayo C, Wills C, 2020).
Humanitarian donation and search for vaccines: During this confinement, the gap between rich and poor is much more noticeable, where thanks to donations, NGO support, government, and humanitarian aids, many countries with social problems are supported with the delivery of clinical supplies and groceries. (Poole, Escudero, Gostin, Leblang, & Talbot, 2020).
On the other hand, the most developed countries that have already passed the contagion curve increased investment in health and scientific research, to find a cure that would end the pandemic. (Hugo & Avendaño, 2020).
Home deliveries and distribution of aid: During this period of confinement, the provision of home services is very important, because the population receives food subsidized by governments at home. In Colombia, a mobile application was designed to allow the registration of any citizen and to verify if he or she is a beneficiary of the aid or not. (Marina Garriga & Vieta, 2020).
Delivery problems: In Colombia, even though the government’s intentions to bring financial aid to those most in need is good, the numerous errors in the digital platform due to the lack of tightness in the authentication of the population, have generated several cases of impersonation and corruption during the pandemic crisis (Cepaluni & Dorsch, 2020). With this scenario, the distribution of vaccines is an institutional challenge for the entire population to benefit and to monitor their impact (Cetina, 2020).