Table 1.

Foundational principles of equitable allocation reprinted/adapted with permission from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) [7]. Copyright 2020, National Academy of Sciences. The Vaccine Allocation Strategy Branch (VASB) utilized these principles for the NH COVID-19 vaccine allocation framework.

Foundational Principles	Definition
Ethical Principles:
Maximum benefit	Encompasses the obligation to protect and promote the public’s health and its socioeconomic well-being in the short and long term
Equal concern	Requires that every person be considered and treated as having equal dignity, worth, and value
Mitigation of health inequities	Includes the obligation to explicitly address the higher burden of COVID-19 experienced by the populations affected most heavily, given their exposure and compounding health inequities.
Procedural Principles:
Fairness	Requires engagement with the public, particularly those most affected by the pandemic, and impartial decision making about and evenhanded application of allocation criteria and priority categories.
Transparency	Includes the obligation to communicate with the public openly, clearly, accurately, and straightforwardly about the allocation framework as it is being developed, deployed, and modified.
Evidence-based	Expresses the requirement to base the allocation framework, including its goal, criteria, and phases, on the best available and constantly updated scientific information and data.