Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President-Medical Affairs, GSK discuss the role of immunisation in healthy ageing
Age is just a number! We have heard this phrase countless times. It is most often heard from people who have kept their bodies well-tuned to manage the process of ageing through proper nourishment, plenty of exercise and regular checkups. These are the people we call ‘super-agers’! They have learnt to understand their body and listen to it. They believe strongly in preventive health. It is possible for everyone to minimise the impact of ageing on their health and keep on leading a good quality of life with optimum functional capability.[i]
One of the key pillars of healthy ageing is immunisation. [ii] It protects ageing adults from infectious diseases and their complications. Older adults are vulnerable to infectious diseases such as flu, pneumonia, and shingles because of their weakened immunity.[iii] As age advances, the immune cells of the body do not function as well as they should. Immunity acquired in childhood against diseases, such as diphtheria and tetanus, also begins to wane.[iv] Infectious diseases can, therefore, may pose a huge burden for ageing adults. For example, shingles is a viral disease that causes rash that may be associated with intense burning sensation. Post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a chronic, severe debilitating pain that may last for months or years after shingles. This pain can make daily activities such as walking, bathing, and dressing a herculean task for the patients.[v] Another infectious disease, flu is extremely common in monsoons and winter and may cause complications such as severe breathing difficulties that may require hospitalisation.[vi] These are not just physical challenges, but they have a huge psychological and economic impact on patients and their families. Immunisation against these diseases can significantly reduce this physical, mental, and economic burden.
Currently, the adult immunisation landscape in India is not very encouraging. One of the recent surveys undertaken by API and Ipsos showed that only 16% adults above the age of 50 have taken adult vaccination.[vii] There are certain misconceptions regarding adult immunisation that prevent ageing adults from taking them, many believe that there are better ways than vaccination to protect themselves or their parents from infections.[viii] There is an urgent need to address these beliefs and instill a sense of confidence about adult immunisation amongst ageing adults and their caregivers. They need to be educated on the benefits of vaccination over any other methods to protect them from the serious complications of infectious diseases. India has 260 million people above the age of 50 and this number is on the rise.[ix] The medical community, government, pharma companies, and civil society need to collaborate to make adult immunisation a health priority for the country. Ageing adults also need to be encouraged to follow other measures, such as regular screening for early detection of chronic diseases, healthy nutrition with adequate amounts of protein, and exercise to strengthen the muscles. All these can help them ‘age well’ with minimal impact of ageing seen on their daily life.
Every year 1st October is celebrated as International Day of Older Persons. It was created in 1990 by the United Nations to mark the contributions made by older adults to society and to raise awareness about the challenges that they face.[x] Every year on this day, we are reminded that advancing age needs to be valued and nurtured so that older adults get ample opportunities to keep contributing to society and keep enjoying life as it was meant to be. While there are many variables that support healthy ageing, now there is good evidence that adult immunisation makes a valuable contribution to this.
References
[1] What does it take to be a super-ager?
[1] Vaccination in Older Adults: An Underutilized Opportunity to Promote Healthy Aging in India
[1] Vaccination in Older Adults: An Underutilized Opportunity to Promote Healthy Aging in India
[1] Vaccinations and Older Adults | National Institute on Aging
[1] The impact of herpes zoster and post-herpetic neuralgia on quality-of-life
[1] Ipsos (2023). India Adult Immunisation Survey: Awareness to Action.
[1] Ipsos (2023). India Adult Immunisation Survey: Awareness to Action.
[1] Vaccination in Older Adults: An Underutilized Opportunity to Promote Healthy Aging in India
[1] International Day of Older Persons | United Nations
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