Location of Vaccination Centers in the State of Puebla, Mexico by using the Gravity model

Abstract

The location of vaccination centers exceeds the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic on academicians and practitioners. Given the importance of reducing population mobility during such a phenomenon, such a challenge arose. Specifically, centers in low-demand areas motivate people’s mobility to get vaccinated, increasing contagion. In this document, we analyze the allocation of vaccination centers in Puebla, Mexico, to propose their relocation by closing some existing facilities in low-demand areas and opening new ones in regions with higher demand. For such an end, we analyze different scenarios by considering uncertain changes in regions’ vaccine demand. We apply the Gravity location model to relocate and minimize the distance between the region’s population and its vaccination center.