A Sequential Experimental Design Method to Evaluate a Combination of School Closure and Vaccination Policies to Control an H1N1-Like Pandemic
Published in Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 2013
During the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, computational agent-based models (ABMs) were extensively used to evaluate interventions to control the spread of emerging pathogens. However, evaluating different possible combinations of interventions using ABMs can be computationally very expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, most policy studies have examined the impact of a single policy decision. Objective To apply a sequential experimental design method with an ABM to analyze policy alternatives composed of a combination of school closure and vaccination policies to provide a set of promising “optimal” combinations of policies to control an H1N1-type epidemic to policy makers. Methods We used an open-source agent-based modeling system, FRED (A Framework for Reconstructing Epidemiological Dynamic), to simulate the spread of an H1N1 epidemic in Alleghany County, Pennsylvania applying best-subset selection procedures.
Recommended citation: Luangkesorn, K. L., Ghiasabadi, F., & Chhatwal, J. (2013). 'A Sequential Experimental Design Method to Evaluate a Combination of School Closure and Vaccination Policies to Control an H1N1-Like Pandemic.' Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 19(Suppl 5), pp. S37–S41.
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