Optimal lockdown policy for vaccination during COVID-19 pandemic

As the COVID-19 spreads across the world, many nations impose lockdown measures at the early stage of the pandemic to prevent the spread of the disease. Controversy surrounds the lockdown as it is a choice between economic freedom and public health. The ultimate solution to a pandemic is to vaccinate a massive population to achieve herd immunity. However, the whole vaccination programme is a long and complicated process. The virus and the vaccine will coexist for quite a long time. How to gradually ease the lockdown based on vaccination progress is an important question, as both economic and epidemiological issues are involved. In this paper, we extend the classic SIR model to find optimal decision to balance between economy and public health in the process of vaccination rollout. The model provides an approach of vaccine value estimation. Our results provide scientific suggestion for policymakers to make important decisions on how to gradually relax the strength for the lockdown over the entire vaccination cycle.

Automated summary

As COVID-19 spreads globally, nations implement lockdown measures to contain the disease, raising debates on the trade-off between economic freedom and public health. Vaccination of a large population is the ultimate solution for the pandemic, but the process is complex. This study extends the SIR model to find optimal decisions balancing economy and public health during vaccination rollout, providing scientific guidance for policymakers on gradually easing lockdown measures.