How Can Blockchain Technology Be Used to Manage the COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Chain? A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Directions

Document Type

Book Chapter

Source of Publication

Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems

Publication Date

9-1-2023

Abstract

To ensure the success of the COVID-19 vaccination program, vaccine supply networks must become more efficient, secure, and dependable. This paper provides a systematic literature review of current academic work on blockchain-based COVID-19 supply chain management (CVSCM), addressing the role of blockchain in CVSCM and its challenges. The paper's objectives are to comprehensively analyze the literature on blockchain solutions in the CVSCM and propose a future research agenda based on gaps in the present literature. The systematic literature review involved 34 peer-reviewed journal and conference publications published between 2019 and 2022. Using a thematic analysis, we observed that the public blockchain is the most often-used blockchain platform for constructing the CVSCM frameworks. The supply chain data privacy and security are major driving factors. Blockchain technology significantly affects CVSCM by allowing for distributed transaction execution and verification. Blockchain technology enables traceability, digitalization, disintermediation of the supply chain, and enhanced data privacy. However, several challenges were identified, including privacy worries, excessive energy consumption, latency, transactional throughput, and scalability. Our results provide the groundwork for future research aimed at increasing technical integration in blockchain supply chain solutions, cross-chain interoperability, and scalability, the feasibility of commercial applications in real-world industrial settings, data security, and privacy. Future research might also closely monitor emerging technologies in CVSCM, such as edge computing, virtual reality, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and blockchain advancements, and provide more impartial support to the many research potentials discussed.

ISBN

978-981-99-3042-5, 978-981-99-3043-2

ISSN

2367-3389

Publisher

Springer Nature Singapore

Volume

695

First Page

399

Last Page

418

Disciplines

Computer Sciences

Keywords

Blockchain, COVID-19, Supply chain management, Traceability, Transparency, Digitization

Indexed in Scopus

no

Open Access

no

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