The development of vaccines for the novel coronavirus have resulted in the rollout of protocols in numerous countries. With the pandemic affecting the globe on such a large scale, the rate of development was unlike anything seen before, with most drugs and vaccines taking years to be developed while the coronavirus vaccine was made in the scale of months. Such a coordinated and concentrated effort is rarely seen and witnessing it now is a spectacle to behold. Such results were only possible, however, due to the hard work and dedication of droves of scientists across the world working countless hours to develop a cure as quickly and as safely as possible, to the point where multiple reputable sources, including the CDC, are confident of the efficacy of the vaccine.

The development of the vaccine shows the continuing importance of society’s investment into bioscience research. It is of the utmost importance that funding be constantly supplied to research facilities working to counter such afflictions which are not only limited to infectious diseases like COVID, but cancers and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer.

Schools and programs that encourage students to pursue bioscientific careers need to also receive funding and support and form stronger infrastructures. The pandemic has shown if anything the importance of educating and empowering the youth in order to solve the problems that the future may hold. Right now it is difficult and sometimes even next to impossible for students in lower socioeconomic brackets to get a quality education in these fields, even if they are qualified to receive it. This leads to wasted talent, a resource that becomes more and more important as problems such as COVID only continue to arise and proliferate.

With the proper support for infrastructures that allow deserving students to receive a quality education, we can hope to see even faster and more efficient responses to emerging diseases.