Facilitating an Equitable and Efficient COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout in Connecticut

When COVID-19 vaccines first became available in the United States, states were responsible for managing the logistics of getting as many people as possible vaccinated as quickly as possible. Social Finance partnered with the state of Connecticut to bolster the state’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout by enhancing the data analytics capacity of its Vaccine Delivery Team.

Goals

Efficiently, equitably, and quickly distribute COVID-19 vaccinations to Connecticut residents, particularly for priority populations such as elderly residents and early childhood education and K-12 teachers.

The Work

When COVID-19 vaccines first became available in the United States, states were responsible for managing the logistics of getting as many people as possible vaccinated as quickly as possible. Social Finance partnered with the state of Connecticut to bolster the data analytics capacity of the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Team.

As part of this enhanced data analytics team, Social Finance worked with the State to develop a baseline allocation model and leveraged the combined analytical expertise of Social Finance and the Department of Public Health (DPH) to execute on Connecticut’s mission to vaccinate individuals as quickly and equitably as possible. The team achieved measurable impact by combining quantitative data insights; intensive and customized support for vaccination providers; and coordination of cross-sector partnerships on priority vaccination campaigns.

Social Finance supported Connecticut’s vaccine rollout by:

• Providing Stability in Allocations. Social Finance partnered with DPH to design a baseline allocation model to provide all core COVID-19 vaccine partners with a weekly guaranteed allocation, giving vaccine providers much-needed inventory stability and the ability to plan clinics further in advance while retaining sufficient flexibility to support other state vaccination priorities.
• Bolstering Inventory Management Capacity. Social Finance helped under-resourced local health departments and community health centers manage their vaccine inventory and efficiently plan administration of doses.
• Fostering Cross-Sector Partnerships. Social Finance helped to define and coordinate a process enabling vaccine providers to effectively collaborate with educational, cultural, and religious institutions on mass vaccination campaigns, particularly for K-12 teachers and childcare providers.

Results

After implementing the new inventory management system, Connecticut saw the total allocation used for small clinics improve by 10 to 20% on average, and in some cases by more than 100%.

Data and cross-sector partnership are individually critical but are most powerful when used together. The combination of robust analytical capabilities and targeted, persistent cross-sector partnerships contributed to Connecticut’s success not only in vaccinating the majority of educators and childcare providers in March, but also in becoming one of the top 5 states in the country for vaccine rollout. Connecticut became one of the first states to achieve the Biden Administration’s goal of vaccinating at least 70% of its adult population with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Long-term, this combination of rigorous data analysis and tailored, ground-level support for providers supported an efficient vaccine rollout and also strengthened the state’s public health infrastructure and resilience. Local health departments, education institutions, and hospital systems—many of whom worked together for the very first time to deliver COVID-19 vaccines—are now better prepared to collaborate on future public health priorities in service of Connecticut residents.