New Delhi: Despite the fairly successful Universal Immunization Program (UIP) by the government, interest in adult or adolescent vaccination has never been high. Run for children. However, since the COVID pandemic, doctors say attitudes are changing and there has been an increase in the use of influenza, pneumonia and HPV vaccines.
Apart from UIP – which is a government program that provides vaccines to expectant mothers and newborns for free – no other government initiative on adult or adolescent vaccination was undertaken in India until the launch of the Covid vaccination program in early 2021.
According to doctors, voluntary vaccination in India was till now limited to people from affluent social strata, but the experience of the pandemic and the change seen during Covid before and after vaccination has changed the perception.
Speaking to ThePrint, Dr S Chatterjee, internal medicine specialist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, said, “I would say the perception has definitely changed. More people are now inquiring about the pneumonia and influenza vaccines, and doctors are strongly recommending them, too. Earlier, doctors insisted on vaccines only for the elderly or the immunocompromised. But the pandemic has changed all that.”
“People have seen firsthand the difference vaccines can make. The actual difference in vaccine use is still small — I’d say about 15-20 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels — but there is certainly a higher acceptance of the idea. People are more aware, doctors are more aware and even the media is more aware.”
To some extent, the pandemic itself gave a boost to the influenza vaccine – commonly known as the flu vaccine – especially in the early days before Covid vaccines were available in India.
Diverse letters Medical journals claimed that the flu vaccine could provide some degree of protection against Covid, and many people chose it as an emergency protection measure.
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interest in the HPV vaccine
Another vaccine that is seeing increased public interest is the one against the human papillomavirus (HPV), one of the most common causes of cervical cancer.
it is recommended For use in adolescent boys and girls, especially before their first sexual contact, although in India it is more common for the vaccine to be given to girls.
“People are coming up and asking about HPV vaccines because there is more awareness about vaccines. However, a lot of work needs to be done to promote it, especially by doctors. Are planning a school-level campaign,” said Dr Alka Pandey, vice-president of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India.
Federation President Dr. Hrishikesh Pai said that the federation has recommended to the government that the vaccine be included in the UIP.
Dr Pandey said that “Post Covid, we are seeing more pregnant women coming in for flu vaccination and also for DPT shots. It is all about how much is done for information dissemination”. The DPT vaccine can prevent diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.
“It is a myth that there is no vaccine hesitancy in India,” said Dr Tapisha Kumar, consultant paediatrician, Max Super Specialty Hospital, Delhi.
“It is there a lot but maybe not so much in the cities. Many people think that this is just a ploy of doctors to make money. But after the pandemic, I see many parents actively seeking vaccinations for their children, especially for the flu. People now understand very well what vaccines do and what uncontrolled disease can do. I would say that in my practice, I have seen a 20-30 per cent increase in the use of these vaccines,” Dr Kumar said.
The flu vaccine is recommended for children six months of age and older. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended Two doses annually until the child is eight years old. World Health Organization recommended It is for children between the age of 6 months to five years.
(Editing by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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