The need for vaccination in adults with chronic (noncommunicable) diseases in India – lessons from around the world

ABSTRACT

Worldwide, chronic diseases (noncommunicable diseases [NCDs]) cause 41 million (71%) deaths annually. They are the leading cause of mortality in India, contributing to 60% of total deaths each year. Individuals with these diseases are more susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) and have an increased risk of associated disease severity and complications. This poses a substantial burden on healthcare systems and economies, exemplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccines are an effective strategy to combat these challenges; however, utilization rates are inadequate. With India running one of the world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination programs, this presents an opportunity to improve vaccination coverage for all VPDs. Here we discuss the burden of VPDs in those with NCDs, the benefit of vaccinations, current challenges and possible strategies that may facilitate implementation and accessibility of vaccination programs. Effective vaccination will have a significant impact on the disease burden of both VPDs and NCDs and beyond.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

What is already known on this topic?

• Annually, chronic or noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) cause >40 million deaths worldwide and 60% of all deaths in India

• Adults with these diseases are more susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs); however, vaccine utilization is inadequate in this population

What is added by this report?

• We highlight the benefits of vaccination in adults with NCDs that extend beyond disease prevention

• We discuss key challenges in implementing adult vaccination programs and provide practical solutions

What are the implications for public health practice?

• Raising awareness about the benefits of vaccinations, particularly for those with NCDs, and providing national guidelines with recommendations from medical societies, will increase vaccine acceptance

• Adequate vaccine acceptance will reduce the VPD burden in this vulnerable population

KEYWORDS:

• noncommunicable disease
• NCDs
• VPDs
• vaccines
• vaccination
• infectious disease
• vaccination
• India
• chronic disease
• vaccine-preventable disease

Acknowledgments

Authors thank MediTech Media for editorial assistance and manuscript coordination, on behalf of GSK Vaccines. Zoe Cornhill provided medical writing support and Danielle Lindley coordinated manuscript development and editorial support.

Disclosure statement

AV declares no conflicts of interest. ADP was previously employed and previously had stock ownership in the GSK Group of Companies. SK, AA and SA are employed by the GSK Group of Companies. SK has stock ownership in the GSK Group of Companies.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.