January 2021
Identify a challenge related to the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine and propose a solution.
As hundreds of thousands of new COVID-19 infections are reported daily in the United States, a safe and effective vaccine seems like the greatest promise of ending this pandemic. Yet, the approval of a vaccine represents only the first step to another national challenge: successfully distributing an effective vaccine to the American public.
Photo: "Flu Vaccination Grippe" by Daniel Paquet is licensed CC BY 2.0
We were thrilled to receive quality proposals from students all over the country for our Impact Challenge on vaccine distribution. After several rounds of judging, and with feedback from professionals specializing in infectious diseases, we selected a small pool of winning teams. These students gathered together virtually to collaborate with other youth leaders, receive feedback from BCIL coaches and peers, and deliver final pitches of their ideas to former Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Bob McDonald. After reviewing all of the winning proposals, Secretary McDonald shared with the students that he was so impressed by the quality and creativity of their ideas that he passed them on to his colleagues working on the federal government’s COVID response!
Our hope is to continue to bring youth leaders together to collaborate and brainstorm on some of the greatest challenges facing our world, and to support students in advancing their proposals.
We encourage everyone to take a few minutes to view a compilation of the winning submissions below.
Guiding Questions
Ethics
How do we determine who has access to the vaccine and when?
How do we balance protecting the most vulnerable populations with concerns about the safety of a vaccine?
Should a vaccine be required?
Delivery
How and where should a vaccine be distributed and how can this be done safely during the pandemic?
How do we provide and transport all of the required materials?
How do we ensure the availability and protection of medical staff who administer a vaccine?
Communication
How should the government communicate effectively to the general public about a vaccine?
How should the government communicate effectively to doctors and distribution centers about a vaccine?
What role can local organizations play in increasing community voice and access to reliable information about a vaccine?