Towards vaccine lifecycle management (VLM): A systematic literature review of the issues and challenges

The vaccine, a distinctive product with specific characteristics, plays a crucial role in enhancing human immunity against diseases for their eradication. Given the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on humanity, numerous challenges lie ahead, underscoring the necessity to develop and enhance medical, economic, and managerial components of vaccine development, as well as to integrate digital technologies and coordinate all stakeholders to respond effectively to the epidemic. All of these considerations refer to the need for a vaccine lifecycle management approach. Despite existing literature, many studies focus on isolated stages, neglecting the essential holistic view required to understand interconnections and the overall impact of proposed solutions on the whole lifecycle. This study addresses this research gap, by systematically tackling major challenges throughout the vaccine lifecycle. Our research contributes to the literature by (a) providing a systematic examination of the literature surrounding Vaccine Lifecycle Management, offering insights into the existing challenges and issues faced in the various stages of vaccine development, production, distribution, and administration, and (b) proposing recommendations or directions for improvement in managing the entire lifecycle of vaccines. Our results could be valuable perspectives for decision-makers involved in the process.