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Dubai: Struggling to keep track of kids' vaccine schedules? Indian student develops smart app to help

Even without knowledge of coding, Veda Fernandes worked hard to bring her vision to life and solve a problem for many parents

Published: Fri 6 Oct 2023, 1:09 PM

Updated: Wed 15 Nov 2023, 4:56 PM

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Supplied photo

Supplied photo

For busy mothers, keeping track of children's vaccination schedules could be a challenge — especially if they have to rely on a baby book, which is easily misplaced. High school student Veda Fernandes created a solution.

Fernandes, a final-year high school student at Dubai International Academy, Emirates Hills, has developed a smart app that allows parents and guardians to manage children's vaccine records and schedules, as well as doctors' appointments.

Available on both iOS and Android platforms, the app has so far been downloaded by over 2,000 users.

“I got the inspiration and idea during my internship at a leading hospital in Qusais in July 2022, where I witnessed first-hand the struggles mothers face in keeping up with their children's vaccines,” Veda said.

“During my rounds in the paediatric section, I noticed that many mothers found it challenging to keep track of their child's vaccination schedules and maintain accurate records. Traditional methods like paper records were often misplaced or outdated. This drove me to develop an easy-to-use mobile app that addresses these concerns and ensures timely vaccinations for children."

With no prior experience or knowledge in coding, Veda resorted to online resources and came across a no-code programme called 'Flutter Flow' from YouTube.

She learned how to use the platform to create her minimum viable product (MVP) version, which she used to get feedback and fine-tune the app. She then collaborated with a freelance developer in India to bring this vision to life, crafting a seamless app.

“I spoke with numerous mothers to understand their unique requirements and concerns. This app is a result of their invaluable insights and feedback. By leveraging the power of technology, we have created a tool that will serve as a reliable digital paediatric vaccination assistant for parents,” said Veda.

How it works

The VAXTrack App can do three main things:

  • Track paediatric vaccine schedules
  • Manage doctors' appointments
  • Maintain a complete record of a child's vaccinations.

By creating the user-friendly tool within 15 months, Veda aspires to make a positive impact.

Aside from the VAXTrack app, she has been instrumental in mobilising community contribution via The Help Initiative which raised relief for the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. She has also been raising awareness about endangered species through her project Wildlife Patrol.

Veda’s passion for technology in medicine also led her to work on researching an algorithm that helps tackle blindness from diabetic retinopathy.

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