Global, regional, and national estimates of target population sizes for covid-19 vaccination: descriptive study

• Published in: BMJ (Online) Vol. 371; p. m4704
• Main Authors: Wang, Wei, Wu, Qianhui, Yang, Juan, Dong, Kaige, Chen, Xinghui, Bai, Xufang, Chen, Xinhua, Chen, Zhiyuan, Viboud, Cécile, Ajelli, Marco, Yu, Hongjie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group LTD 15.12.2020; BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
• Series: Special Paper
• Subjects: Age; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - prevention & control; COVID-19 - virology; COVID-19 vaccines; COVID-19 Vaccines - therapeutic use; Disease transmission; Epidemiology; Essential workers; Estimates; GDP; Global Health; Gross Domestic Product; Health Priorities; Humans; Immunization Programs; Literature reviews; Pandemics; Population Density; Regional Health Planning - methods; Risk factors; SARS-CoV-2 - immunology; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Vaccination; Vaccination Coverage; Vaccine hesitancy; Vaccines; World Health Organization
• ISSN: 1756-1833; 0959-8138; 1756-1833
• DOI: 10.1136/bmj.m4704

AbstractObjectiveTo provide global, regional, and national estimates of target population sizes for coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) vaccination to inform country specific immunisation strategies on a global scale.DesignDescriptive study.Setting194 member states of the World Health Organization.PopulationTarget populations for covid-19 vaccination based on country specific characteristics and vaccine objectives (maintaining essential core societal services; reducing severe covid-19; reducing symptomatic infections and stopping virus transmission).Main outcome measureSize of target populations for covid-19 vaccination. Estimates use country specific data on population sizes stratified by occupation, age, risk factors for covid-19 severity, vaccine acceptance, and global vaccine production. These data were derived from a multipronged search of official websites, media sources, and academic journal articles.ResultsTarget population sizes for covid-19 vaccination vary markedly by vaccination goal and geographical region. Differences in demographic structure, presence of underlying conditions, and number of essential workers lead to highly variable estimates of target populations at regional and country levels. In particular, Europe has the highest share of essential workers (63.0 million, 8.9%) and people with underlying conditions (265.9 million, 37.4%); these two categories are essential in maintaining societal functions and reducing severe covid-19, respectively. In contrast, South East Asia has the highest share of healthy adults (777.5 million, 58.9%), a key target for reducing community transmission. Vaccine hesitancy will probably impact future covid-19 vaccination programmes; based on a literature review, 68.4% (95% confidence interval 64.2% to 72.6%) of the global population is willing to receive covid-19 vaccination. Therefore, the adult population willing to be vaccinated is estimated at 3.7 billion (95% confidence interval 3.2 to 4.1 billion).ConclusionsThe distribution of target groups at country and regional levels highlights the importance of designing an equitable and efficient plan for vaccine prioritisation and allocation. Each country should evaluate different strategies and allocation schemes based on local epidemiology, underlying population health, projections of available vaccine doses, and preference for vaccination strategies that favour direct or indirect benefits.