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Hard Strategy

Shots, shots, shots

#Public Sector #Healthcare
ProHub Comment

This is a complex public health strategy case requiring the candidate to synthesize epidemiological data, demographic targeting, and operational execution. The case tests analytical rigor (calculating vaccination gaps by county and age group), strategic thinking (identifying highest-impact populations), and communication skills (delivering a recommendation under time pressure). The inclusion of behavioral questions about diversity/inclusion and delivering bad news suggests evaluation of leadership qualities in crisis situations.

Estimated Time 15 minutes
Difficulty Hard
Source Duke
50 / 100
Our clients, the Governor of a state and the state’s Director of the Department of Health Services (DHS), seek to improve SARS-COV-2 or “COVID-19” vaccination efforts in light of a new strain’s proliferation. The B.1.617.2 variant — colloquially known as “Delta” — became the dominant COVID-19 variant in early July 2021 and has been observed to be more contagious than prior variants. According to researchers, unvaccinated individuals infected with the Delta variant will infect 3.5 or 4 other people (called “R naught” or “R0” in epidemiology). In contrast, people infected with the “Alpha” variant with had an R0 of 2.5. Thus, the Governor and Director seek to develop a plan to vaccinate 75% of the state-wide population by Labor Day 2021. As of the beginning of August 2021, the state has vaccinated over 3,704,000 eligible adults and children aged 12+ with at least 1 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine (e.g., Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, Moderna, or Pfizer/BioNTech). Yet, millions more eligible adults and children aged 12+ have yet to receive a first dose of any vaccine. The Governor and Director of DHS have hired us to help the state implement a large-scale COVID-19 vaccination program by standing up a COVID-19 vaccine data center to help increase vaccination rates and safeguard lives and livelihoods in the state.

Clarifying Information

  1. The Governor’s secondary goal is to increase the state’s rank for the percentage of its population aged 12+ with at least one dose of a COVID-10 vaccine — According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the state currently ranks 34th in the U.S. (including states and territories)
  2. The state has enough supply of the J&J, Pfizer, and Moderna vaccines to vaccinate every eligible adult and child
  3. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for three vaccines: Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, Moderna, and Pfizer/BioNTech. — The J&J vaccine’s course is completed after one dose, while the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech (mRNA) vaccines require two doses. — The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is the only vaccine available to be used for people aged 12-17. Adults 18+ can receive any of the three vaccines.
  4. The state’s DHS is responsible for allocating vaccine doses to providers (e.g., hospitals, local pharmacies, Drs. offices, etc.) throughout the state. However, some providers also receive doses directly from the federal government (e.g., nursing homes, chain pharmacies, military/veterans, American Indian/Indigenous tribes, etc.).