  In this study, a vaccine supply chain model is developed considering the
humanitarian aspects under uncertain conditions in Iran. There are three main
components to supply the required vaccines for vaccination centers that can be
designed and managed within three echelons: suppliers, distribution centers,
and vaccination centers. Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical (IMHM), Iranian
Red Crescent Society (IRCS), and private sector companies play the role of
suppliers in the model. A robust optimization approach is employed to address
real-world uncertainty and find a solution dealing with all uncertain data
possibilities and supply chain equity. To this aim, the actual COVID-19 data of
Iran is gathered, including data on five different types of vaccines used in
Iran. Then, it is investigated how vaccination programs can be accomplished
more efficiently by considering priority issues, transportation, holding costs,
and deprivation costs in Tehran, Iran's largest city and one of the most
populous cities globally. Next, a set of sensitivity analyses are conducted,
assessing the variation of deprivation costs for different problem instances
and the budgets assigned to each supplier. One of the critical assumptions in
this research is prioritizing older-aged groups over younger-aged ones into
account for receiving the vaccine.
