Scientific discoveries such as antibiotics and childhood vaccination as well as improved hygiene and sanitation have reduced the incidence of infectious diseases and given us the gift of a long life. India’s life expectancy has almost doubled from 1950 to 2021. However, an increased life expectancy is just a number, and what is more important is the kind of life we lead during the additional years that medical science has provided us. A longer life loses value if it is spent in illness, dependency, and suffering.
Therefore, it is important to adopt good habits and a lifestyle that can help control the negative impact of ageing and improve quality of life. One of the most important measures that we have is adult immunization. We know the positive impact of childhood vaccination – evidence shows that vaccination has averted 37 million childhood deaths in lower and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2019. Now is the time to use this tool to protect ageing adults against serious infectious diseases such as pneumonia, influenza, shingles, diphtheria and whooping cough.
