The Year of the Vaccine

If 2020 was the Year of the Virus, then 2021 is probably heading toward the Year of the Vaccine. Never in the history of the world has a virus which appeared in such a short time created such mayhem and never has a vaccine for the same been developed in such a short period of time. From centuries to decades to years to finally months, the Covid-19 vaccine is a tale of a lightning fast solutions in a fast paced world.

The messenger RNA virus is a first and it was designed on the computer and replicated on the machine. It is a clear break from the past and the future of the healthcare industry depends on it. If successful, not only will it put the world back on track with its newly tech upgraded avatar, but mRNA vaccine development will start taking place for almost every disease you can think of and maybe even some medical conditions that you cannot think of.

Hundreds of vaccines were under development, dozens reached the trial stage and many have now entered mass production. Billions will be vaccinated this year and it’s possible that the entire human race will be covered in a few years.

Who would have thought of such a thing? A future scenario—Year 0: Virus arrives. Year 1: Vaccine developed. Years 2-3: Entire globe vaccinated. All this has been made thanks to technology.

Every country will follow a different schedule and a different combination of vaccines. The results are bound to be different. We will have detailed data about billions of citizens coupled with dozens of vaccines.

Analyze that data, use powerful analytical tools and Artificial Intelligence. You will soon know how to tweak the usage of a particular vaccine to make it more effective. It would be handy for future viruses and vaccines too.

The entire healthcare industry is on the verge of a tech upgrade. Robotic assistants in hospitals along with robotic workers and cleaners could take off big time. At a higher level, robotic surgeries could gain wider acceptance. The use of AI in analyzing and predicting diseases and optimizing treatments could rise. The use of XR (Extended Reality) for medical training and remote classes could rise.

Many first times doctors have been pushed into telemedicine with growing broadband power and a surfeit of access devices. This is great for an initial diagnosis to take the load off busy hospitals; ideal for remote locations and far away emergency situations.

But what if the vaccine doesn’t succeed? That would be a grade one disaster and the global healthcare industry would be in the doldrums. Either way, the Covid vaccine could well make or break 2021.