The word vaccination may evoke images of children getting an injection on their upper arm to immunise them from future infections. The need to have a similar system to immunise adults is yet to be addressed, especially in States such as Kerala, whose population of senior citizens is expected to surge in another decade.
According to the ‘India Ageing Report 2023’ of the UN Fund for Population Activities, about 22.8% of Kerala’s population will be senior citizens in 2036 as against the projected national average of 15%. In 2021, senior citizens constituted 16.5% of the State’s population.
“At present, there is no system or infrastructure for adult vaccination in the country like the Universal Immunisation Programme for kids. There is no vaccine schedule either. One of the reasons may be the high cost of these vaccines. As a first step, creating awareness on the issue is important,” says K.K. Purushothaman, Professor, MES Medical College Hospital, Perinthalmanna, Malappuram.
