Adult immunization: An underutilised tool for public health
By Dr Meka Satyanarayana, Senior Consultant Family Physician, Director Aswini ID Clinic, Hyderabad
In the current healthcare landscape, vaccination has proven to be an important preventative tool that offers protection against an array of infectious diseases. Evidence shows that 37 million childhood deaths were averted because of vaccination in lower and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2019. However, we have not yet leveraged the strength of such a valuable tool to safeguard the health of ageing adults. Most adults believe that vaccination is just for children and therefore forego its many benefits.
Here are the key individual-level and community-level benefits of adult immunization:
1. Since it has been estimated that the number of people above 50 years will increase to 404
million by 2036 from the 260 million in 2020, 3 it is imperative that we have preventative health
measures in place to protect this at-risk group from potentially debilitating illnesses and reduce
the mortality associated with them. 4 5
2. Vaccinations also reduce the morbidity associated with vaccine-preventable diseases, such as
meningococcal diseases and influenza, particularly among this specific population. iv v 6 Simply
increasing the life expectancy should not be the goal; we must priortise the quality of life and
health of ageing adults. Vaccination can help reduce pain and discomfort caused by these
illnesses. When it comes to diseases such as shingles, which can lead to painful complications
like postherpetic neuralgia, prevention is truly better than cure. 7
3. “Herd immunity", which is when a sufficiently high proportion of the total population is
vaccinated, provides indirect protection to those who cannot be vaccinated due to medical
reasons or age. It is a potent tool for disease prevention, as it limits the spread of pathogens
within communities by bolstering individual immunity against various diseases. i
4. By preventing disease outbreaks, vaccination also contributes to alleviating the strain on
healthcare systems, sparing resources that can be redirected toward other pressing healthcare
needs.
Unfortunately, India does not yet have any formal guidelines for adult immunization despite there being multiple benefits for adults aged 50 years and above. The world experienced it first hand during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now the time has come to use this underutilised public health tool to protect all ageing adults, especially those aged 50 years and above.
All ageing adults should speak to their doctor about getting vaccinated against diseases such as
influenza, meningococcal disease, herpes zoster (shingles), Covid-19, and more. 8 9 10 11 Through vaccination, we can strengthen our defences against infectious diseases. We can enhance the health of our communities, protect those who are immunocompromised and at-risk, and pave the way for a brighter, healthier future for all.
For more information:
1 Vaccination: the cornerstone of an efficient healthcare system
2 Estimating the health impact of vaccination against ten pathogens in 98 low-income and middle-income countries
from 2000 to 2030: a modelling study
3 India Ageing Report 2023
4 Impact of Vaccines; Health, Economic and Social Perspectives
5 Infections in the older population: what do we know? | Aging Clinical and Experimental Research
6 The Burden of Invasive Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in Adults in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Region
7 Shingles Treatment, Pictures, Symptoms, Vaccine
8 Towards adult vaccination in India: a narrative literature review
9 Guidelines for vaccination in normal adults in India
10 Benefits of Getting A COVID-19 Vaccine | CDC
11 API - Indian Consensus Guideline on Adult Immunization
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