Now Reading: Delhi’s elderly lack pneumonia vaccine as winter pollution worsens
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Delhi’s elderly lack pneumonia vaccine as winter pollution worsens
Vaccination coverage against pneumonia among Indians aged 60 and above is just 0.40 per cent, according to NSSO data, while 83 per cent of infants nationwide receive free shots under the Universal…
Vaccination coverage against pneumonia among Indians aged 60 and above is just 0.40 per cent, according to NSSO data, while 83 per cent of infants nationwide receive free shots under the Universal Immunisation Programme. In Delhi, where winter air quality hit a six-year low with an average AQI of 351 in December 2025, government hospitals recorded 30,000 respiratory admissions and over 2,00,000 acute illness cases between 2022 and 2024. A single hospital stay for pneumonia costs roughly Rs 50,000, with ICU care reaching Rs 1 lakh.
India's 2026 adult immunisation guidelines recommend the PCV20 vaccine for all adults aged 50 and above, but no national policy funds adult vaccination. The 2022 Medical Certification of Cause of Death report listed pneumonia as the leading cause of respiratory deaths, with 35,987 recorded fatalities, though the actual figure is likely higher as only a fifth of deaths are certified. Experts say a significant portion of winter hospitalisations and costs could be avoided with the already available vaccine.
Indian Opinion Analysis
India's Universal Immunisation Programme covers children but leaves adults reliant on the private market, where a pneumococcal vaccine costs Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per dose. For a family with a pensioner and a daily-wage earner in Delhi, that amount can rival a week's income. The government's own 2026 expert guidelines recommend the vaccine for all adults over 50, but no national policy bundles it into free or subsidised delivery. A policy shift would require the finance ministry to allocate funds under the National Health Mission, which last budgeted Rs 3,800 crore for immunisation in 2025, almost all for children. Delhi's winter crisis, with AQI above 300 for weeks, makes this a recurring test case for extending adult vaccination. The next sign to watch is whether the Delhi government proposes a targeted pneumococcal drive for the elderly before winter 2025.
Source: thehindu.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
