Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026

Predicting the Effectiveness of Population Replacement Strategy Using Mathematical Modeling
Published on: July 4, 2007
Dynamics of a multigroup epidemiological model with group-targeted vaccination strategies
Lamwah Chow1, Meng Fan, Zhilan Feng
1School of Mathematics and Statistics, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun, Jilin 130024, PR China.
Abstract:
A multigroup SIR epidemiological model is used to study the effects of group-targeted vaccination strategies on disease control and prevention. The model takes into consideration both proportionate and preferential mixing patterns between groups. We show that the dynamical behaviors of the model are determined by the control reproduction number R(v) and, under certain conditions, by the type-reproduction number T(1v). These reproduction numbers provide criteria for evaluating control strategies including targeted vaccination programs and reduction of interactions between groups. We also illustrate how these reproduction numbers can be used to examine the influence of population heterogeneities such as group preferences, activity levels, and mixing patterns. Criteria are also established for disease eradication from the entire network of populations by applying vaccination strategies in one or some sub-populations.
Related Concept Videos
Causality in Epidemiology
Smallpox
Modeling with Differential Equations
Steps in Outbreak Investigation
Statistical Methods for Analyzing Epidemiological Data
Vaccinations
