MUMBAI - The healthcare industry has advanced like never before on a global scale. Though the COVID-19 pandemic placed the world at a standstill, it was a blessing in disguise and catalyst for the advancement of technology in healthcare. The number of telehealth visits increased by 50 percent, thereby reshaping the future of healthcare, a report by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in last year’s first quarter revealed.

Technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and Big Data analytics deployed in the fight against COVID-19, from detection of the virus to its spread and to the eventual discovery of drugs to combat the pandemic. We are living in a tech-savvy world, where technology is integrated into each aspect. Similarly, vaccines, which experts regard as the ultimate solution to the deadly pandemic, have started leveraging technology for development as well as distribution.

Companies like Pfizer and Moderna rapidly produced vaccines in response to the pandemic. At first, to people watching the devastating effects of COVID-19 unfold, this appeared to be a relief, but that was not the case. The unsavory truth is that countries across the globe do not have a smart, effective framework to help people get vaccinated. One of the major deterrents is the healthcare supply chain. Furthermore, collecting huge amounts of data to track any negative effects people might face after getting the jab adds further complexity to this challenge.

Even now, only a relatively small percentage of the population in the US is vaccinated. And when you bear in mind the top priority of US President Joe Biden’s administration is a vaccine rollout, it's quite clear a unique toolkit is needed to assist in speeding up this initiative in most nations.

AI is the obvious solution, and it has been enlisted by several countries for a rapid COVID-19 vaccine rollout.