Insights from the COVID-19 pandemic on building resilience capabilities in vaccine supply chains supporting mass vaccination

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the capabilities essential to vaccine supply chain (VSC) resilience given a mass vaccination endeavor during a pandemic. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory qualitative study was used to elicit the required capabilities pertinent to the design of resilient VSC flows. Data were extracted from white papers, reports, academic papers and the presentations of over 100 experts globally who convened at webinars, symposia and workshops to discuss the COVID-19 mass vaccination campaign and the VSC. Findings The results of this study indicated that 7 primary capabilities, 44 Level 1 sub-factor capabilities and 145 Level 2 sub-factor capabilities are essential to VSC resilience in a mass vaccination situation during a pandemic. Furthermore, through cluster analysis, associations of various degrees were identified between some pairs of resilience capabilities. Research limitations/implications To the best of the author’s knowledge, a comprehensive and holistic exploratory research study that identifies systemic resilience capabilities of mass vaccination supply chains and aligns these requirements to the seven critical flows in the VSC has not been previously undertaken. A cluster analysis that depicts the relationships between the resilience capabilities has also not yet been done. Practical implications The results have significant consequences as an informative reference for leaders managing herd immunity goals during pandemic situations. Stakeholders in the public sector, private sector and other entities, involved in planning and managing all or part of a mass VSC during a pandemic, should find the results valuable in providing a structured approach for building resilience at systemic and individual flow levels. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on designing resilient mass vaccination supply chains during a pandemic. Using data from a wide spectrum of published and audiovisual sources, this study identifies seven resilience capabilities to reduce disturbances that lead to delays in mass vaccination supply chains. This study develops a structured approach to align these capabilities to the seven critical flows in the VSC. Through cluster analysis, associations between the resilience capabilities are identified, indicating where multiple strategies may be required to reinforce VSC resilience.