Vaccine supply chain management: An intelligent system utilizing blockchain, IoT and machine learning

Vaccination offers health, economic, and social benefits. However, three major issues-vaccine quality, demand forecasting, and trust among stakeholders-persist in the vaccine supply chain (VSC), leading to inefficiencies. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated weaknesses in the VSC, while presenting opportunities to apply digital technologies to manage it. For the first time, this study establishes an intelligent VSC management system that provides decision support for VSC management during the COVID-19 pandemic. The system combines block -chain, internet of things (IoT), and machine learning that effectively address the three issues in the VSC. The transparency of blockchain ensures trust among stakeholders. The real-time monitoring of vaccine status by the IoT ensures vaccine quality. Machine learning predicts vaccine demand and conducts sentiment analysis on vaccine reviews to help companies improve vaccine quality. The present study also reveals the implications for the management of supply chains, businesses, and government.

Automated summary

Vaccination offers various benefits but faces three major issues in the supply chain: vaccine quality, demand forecasting, and stakeholder trust. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed weaknesses in the supply chain while presenting an opportunity to apply digital technologies. This study establishes an intelligent management system that addresses these issues by combining blockchain, IoT, and machine learning, ensuring trust, real-time monitoring, and improved vaccine quality.