Defining Optimal Vaccine Features for Pandemic Preparedness: an Individual-Based Model Bridging Within- and...

Disease X, a yet-to-be-identified pathogen of pandemic potential, underscores the urgency of proactive surveillance and preparedness. Developing prototype vaccine for representative pathogens is key to this effort. In alignment with the "100 Day Mission" to ensure equitable vaccine access, this study aims to identify desirable vaccine features needed to control future pathogens outbreaks, possibly SARS-CoV-2 type. We developed an individual-based transmission model integrating viral load and antibody kinetics to examine combinations of the virus's basic reproduction number (R₀) and vaccine characteristics, including (1) the concentration of antibodies required for 50% of the maximum protective effect (EC50), representing vaccine efficacy to limit infection, (2) the half-life of plasma-secreting cells associated with wanning immunity, and (3) the vaccine's impact on the virus's infection rate of target cells, representing vaccine's potency to limit transmission and severity. Their impacts on infections and hospitalizations were quantified over 18 months in a population of 10,000, with vaccination starting on Day 100 under random or age-prioritized allocation, without supply constraints. Vaccines with the same features as the BNT162b2 vaccine were estimated to avert 23-47% of cases and 32-61% of hospitalizations compared to no vaccine, with effect sizes declining as R₀ increased. Lowering EC50 or extending plasma-secreting cell half-life decreased transmission, although gains plateaued. Modifying the virus-target cell infection rate had minimal impact on population-level outcomes, and vaccine allocation strategy had limited impacts. Our findings suggest that vaccine development for future pandemics should prioritize improving EC50, followed by increasing a longer-term exposure.