Optimizing the Allocation of Vaccines in the Presence of Multiple Strains of the Influenza Virus

During the annual flu season, multiple strains of the influenza virus are often present within a population. It is a significant challenge for health care administrators to determine the most effective allocation of multiple different vaccines to combat the various strains when protecting the public. We employ a mathematical model, a system of differential equations, to find a strategy for vaccinating a population to minimize the number of infected individuals. We consider various strengths of transmission of the disease, availability of vaccine doses, vaccination rates, and other model parameters. This research may lead to more effective health care policies for vaccine administration