Goa institute launches national project to improve adult vaccination uptake

New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) Goa Institute of Management (GIM) has launched a national project to improve adult vaccination (AV) uptake in India to safeguard the health of its ageing and high-risk populations, officials said on Wednesday.

Led by two professors, Ajay Vamadevan and Praveen Pradeep, the project brings together government agencies, research institutions, state health departments and medical professional bodies to identify evidence and regulatory gaps, and other provider and beneficiary-level barriers that hinder the uptake of AV.

Medical Research evidence shows that adults with chronic comorbid conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as well as individuals who are immunocompromised or have received organ transplants are at higher risk of severe illness from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) including influenza, pneumonia, tetanus, diphtheria, typhoid, hepatitis A and B, and herpes zoster.

According to officials, recognising variations in chronic disease burden and health system preparedness across states, the project prioritises vaccines for high-burden states such as Goa, Kerala, Punjab and Delhi.

This approach generates actionable insights on which vaccines and target groups should be prioritised first, thereby laying the foundation for a national roadmap, they said.

"Coverage of essential adult vaccines (influenza, pneumococcal, typhoid, hepatitis B remains below 2 pc nationally. There is an urgent need to develop state-specific strategies for AV in India, given the wide variation in the chronic disease burden and ageing population across Indian states," said Ajay Vamadevan, Professor at GIM.

The GIM in collaboration with the Directorate of Health Services, Goa, also hosted a 'National Consultation Workshop on Adult Vaccination Prioritisation in India' on Wednesday.

National experts and representatives from Kerala, Punjab, Delhi and specialist doctors from Goa Medical College (GMC) and the State Health Department have attended the workshop.

"Goa has long been a model for national health initiatives, and hosting this landmark event is both an honour and a responsibility -- positioning the state as a torchbearer in setting priorities for adult vaccination in India," said Rupa Naik, Director of Health Services, Goa.

Key deliberations at the workshop focused on reviewing evidence, incorporating diverse stakeholder perspectives and conducting a structured prioritisation exercise to recommend adult vaccines for short-, medium- and long-term adoption in India. PTI GJS GJS KSS KSS