Graduate
#75
Discipline: Mathematics and Statistics
Subcategory: Mathematics and Statistics
Raymond K. Smith III - North Carolina A&T State University
Co-Author(s): Aleah Archibald, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC
Discipline: Mathematics and Statistics
Subcategory: Mathematics and Statistics
Raymond K. Smith III - North Carolina A&T State University
Co-Author(s): Aleah Archibald, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC
| The purpose of this project is to quantitatively investigate vaccination strategies to prevent measles epidemics. A disease model which incorporates susceptible, vaccinated, infected, and recovered populations (SVIR) is used to investigate the process of how an epidemic of measles can spread within a closed population where a portion of the population has been vaccinated. The model is used to predict the number of infections and resulting reproductive number for the measles based on a variety of initial vaccination levels. The model is further used to investigate the concept of herd immunity, which states that if a certain percentage of the population is vaccinated then it will provide protection for the entire population. Results generated from these modeling efforts suggest that approximately 95% of the population should be vaccinated against the measles in order to establish a herd immunity. |
Funder Acknowledgement(s): National Science Foundation HRD#1036299
Faculty Advisor: Nicholas S. Luke and Liping Lui, luke@ncat.edu