Ask an Indian adult when they were last vaccinated and the answer is usually a childhood memory. India runs one of the world’s largest childhood immunisation programmes, then largely abandons vaccination at adulthood, as if immunity were a childhood concern. It is not. Tetanus kills, hepatitis B causes chronic liver disease and cancer, HPV causes cervical cancer, and typhoid remains endemic, all vaccine-preventable in adults. Adult vaccination is among the most neglected, cost-effective health measures in the country, and building the habit would prevent an enormous burden of suffering.

Tetanus: the ten-year shot everyone forgets

Tetanus bacteria live in soil and dust, entering through wounds, and the disease remains terrifying: lockjaw, muscle spasms, high mortality without intensive care. Childhood DPT covers the early years, but protection wanes, and adults need a Td or Tdap booster every 10 years, a schedule almost no Indian adult follows. Wound management is the practical trigger: dirty wounds in people with uncertain vaccination history need both vaccine and, for high-risk wounds, tetanus immunoglobulin. Pregnant women receive tetanus vaccination to protect newborns, one of the programme’s genuine successes. The adult booster costs little and takes minutes; its neglect is pure awareness failure.

Hepatitis B: the silent liver threat

India has tens of millions of chronic hepatitis B carriers, many unaware, and the virus spreads through blood, unprotected sex and from mother to child. Chronic infection causes cirrhosis and liver cancer decades later. The vaccine, a three-dose series, is over 90 per cent effective and now part of childhood immunisation, but most adults born before its introduction remain unprotected. Healthcare workers, people with multiple partners, those with chronic liver or kidney disease, and household contacts of carriers should all be vaccinated. Testing for existing immunity or infection before vaccinating is sensible in high-prevalence settings.

HPV: the cervical cancer vaccine, for adults too

HPV vaccination prevents the infections that cause nearly all cervical cancers, plus vulvar, anal and throat cancers. India’s introduction of HPV vaccine for adolescent girls was a landmark, and the indigenous Cervavac has improved affordability. But many adult women missed the window: vaccination is licensed up to age 45, and while it works best before sexual debut, it still offers meaningful protection afterward by covering strains not yet encountered. Adult men benefit too, against genital warts and HPV-related cancers. The single biggest barrier is awareness that the option exists for adults at all.

Typhoid and hepatitis A: the endemic duo

Typhoid remains common in India, spread through contaminated food and water, and increasing drug resistance makes prevention more valuable than ever. The typhoid conjugate vaccine offers durable protection with a single dose and is worth considering for adults with frequent exposure, travellers, and food handlers. Hepatitis A, the jaundice of contaminated food and water, is usually mild in children but can be severe in adults; with improving sanitation, more Indians now reach adulthood without natural immunity, paradoxically increasing adult vulnerability. A two-dose hepatitis A series is sensible for the unexposed, particularly travellers and those with liver disease.

Other adult vaccines worth knowing

• Influenza, annually: for the over-60s, the chronically ill, pregnant women and healthcare workers.
• Pneumococcal: for older adults and the immunocompromised; prevents a major cause of pneumonia and meningitis.
• Shingles (herpes zoster): recommended from 50, preventing a painful and sometimes debilitating condition.
• Rabies pre-exposure: for veterinarians, animal handlers and travellers to high-risk areas.
• COVID-19 boosters: for older and high-risk adults per current guidelines.
• MMR catch-up: adults without documented two-dose measles vaccination, relevant given periodic outbreaks.

FAQs

Are adult vaccines safe if I was vaccinated as a child? Yes. Boosters and new vaccines are designed for adult immune systems; childhood vaccination does not conflict with them.

Where can adults get vaccinated? Private hospitals and clinics in cities stock most adult vaccines; government facilities focus on programme vaccines but are expanding. Ask your physician, who can order what is needed.

How much does it cost? Most adult vaccines cost a few hundred to a few thousand rupees per dose; HPV and shingles vaccines are pricier but still modest against the diseases they prevent.

India’s immunisation story does not have to end at age five. The same logic that protects children, safe, effective prevention at trivial cost, applies undiminished to adults facing tetanus, hepatitis, HPV and typhoid. What is missing is not science or supply but the cultural expectation that grown-ups get vaccinated too. That expectation starts with a conversation at your next doctor’s visit.

Compiled by the Khabar 24h Editorial Desk from publicly available sources.