Revolutionising Vaccine Supply Chains: A Federated Blockchain Framework With Smart Contracts for Enhanced Scalability and Security

Abstract

Efficiency, security and transparency are critical for public health issues such as counterfeit vaccines, cold chain integrity and data authenticity. This study introduces a decentralised smart contract-driven blockchain framework that incorporates federated learning and edge computing to overcome the limitations of traditional centralised systems. Through decentralised decision-making and real-time data management, the proposed framework facilitates traceability, reduces vaccine wastage and ensures robust cold chain monitoring. The framework applied hybrid evaluation using Blockchain Impact Modelling (BIM) and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) in order to show prominent improvement in scalability, security and operational efficiency. The experimental results confirm that the framework can detect temperature anomalies 76% faster, increase transaction throughput by 36.1% and improve breach detection to 99.7%. Smart contracts enable automated and accurate decision-making, whereas FL ensures privacy-preserving analytics among stakeholders. EC integration reduces latency and computational overhead, allowing real-time responses. This new architecture provides a strong foundation for vaccine supply chain management, addressing global challenges while adapting to different regulatory landscapes. This framework marks a new benchmark in securing healthcare logistics and extending its applicability to broader pharmaceutical supply chains.