Abstract for: Managing global emergency vaccine stockpiles: bridging perspectives between theory and practice

Lessons from past epidemics and pandemics highlight the importance of preparedness. An emergency vaccine stockpile is one strategy that has been proposed to better address the mismatch between the supply and demand of vaccines during outbreaks. Stockpiles serve as a market-shaping mechanism by providing demand guarantees that allow long-term planning and availability of vaccines when outbreaks emerge. Although promising, managing global emergency vaccine stockpiles is difficult in practice. The objective of this work is to gain a deeper understanding of the system interactions that impact stockpile operations in order to generate policy and managerial insights to support decision-makers (e.g., stockpile managers, funders, manufacturers). This will ultimately ensure timely and sustainable access to vaccines in outbreak situations.