Have you taken a flu shot?

CHENNAI: Every year, as the monsoon season sets in and temperatures swing, clinics across the country see a familiar rush of parents bringing children for their flu shots. However, no one can see an adult asking for the same prevention shot that protects them from seasonal infections that are very much a threat for both children and grown-ups.

For years this has remained the major concern and paradox of influenza prevention in the country. While the flu vaccine is widely accepted as a paediatric necessity, it remains grossly underused by the adults who are most vulnerable to its complications.

Health experts note that the assumption that influenza is a childhood nuisance and a mild seasonal inconvenience is not just outdated, but also a costly public health blind spot.

Not child’s disease

“The perception that only children need protection from seasonal flu stems from a combination of cultural conditioning and clinical misreading,” says general practitioner Dr B Suganya at Poornima Clinic, Coimbatore. “Childhood immunisation has always been considered a national success story, with nearly 9 in 10 children receiving routine vaccines. It has cemented a mental image among adults that vaccines belong to the paediatrician’s clinic and not for them.”

Dr Suganya explains that adults often confuse influenza with the common cold. “When a grown up feels under the weather with a high temperature coupled with cold, they just brush it off as nothing when it could be a flu which is much more serious. But they would treat the same case very differently when it’s their child that comes down with an infection,” she added.

The flu brings high fever, body aches and headaches that can knock a healthy adult off their feet for weeks and without proper intervention the repercussions can drag on for nearly a month. The doctor noted that they see at least 25 adults with seasonal allergies or flu on a daily basis especially between September to December.

While parents insist on getting their children vaccinated every year without fail, they rarely show the same interest in their own health.

Annual fatalities

It may be noted that the annual burden of influenza among older adults in India is massive and largely unrecognised. An AIIMS-led study estimated that the seasonal flu causes around 5.3 million illnesses across the country every year. The study also found that the disease leads to more than 36,000 hospitalisations and nearly 85,000 deaths annually.

“These are not merely statistics. They represent parents, grandparents and people we meet in our everyday life whose severe illness could have been curtailed with a simple annual shot,” notes family physician Dr Vijay Kumaravel, who runs a clinic at Ramnagar in Coimbatore.

The doctor also noted that apart from the elderly, the burden extends to people battling with diabetes, heart disease, chronic lung conditions and pregnant women who remain largely unprotected.

Despite the alarming risks, adult vaccination coverage in India is abysmally low. According to the Journal of the Indian Academy of Geriatrics, only about 1.5% of the population is vaccinated against influenza and hospital records also suggest a dismal figure among adults seeking care. “The reasons are layered. Firstly, There isn’t much awareness about a flu vaccine for adults in the market. Since the flu vaccine is not part of India’s Universal Immunisation Programme, it’s rarely discussed in public health messages,” explained Dr Suganya.

Studies show that nearly more than 50% of the adult population in India did not take the flu shot because they were unaware of its existence. And on the other hand, 68.7 of adults have never received a recommendation from a medical professional to do the same.

The second reason for the reluctance towards the adult flu shot is the cost barrier. While the quadrivalent influenza vaccine costs between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,500 per dose in the private sector, the expense seems ‘unnecessary’ for a mild fever among several households.

Thirdly, it’s the group of patients we see that actually believe that their body’s natural immunity is built through repeated exposure is sufficient to ride the flu out. They come to us only when their symptoms worsen,” said Dr Suganya.

Not permanent shield

Doctors note that even among the minority who do get the flu vaccine, a common misunderstanding persists that one shot offers lifelong cover.

“The virus strains mutate constantly and immunity from vaccination wanes over time. Keeping this in mind, the WHO updates the vaccine formulation twice a year. So people should take the vaccine annually for better prevention,” explains Dr Kumaravel.

A single shot cannot be considered as a permanent shield and adults should take the time off to get the shot yearly as a routine to build better immunity.

Health experts note that the only way when it comes to adult flu vaccines is that prevention is better than cure. A government-funded annual influenza vaccination programme for adults aged 60 and above would be cost-effective, with prioritising those with chronic illnesses emerging as the most economically sound strategy.

The Association of Physicians of India has formally recommended annual influenza vaccination as a core preventive measure for adults, particularly high-risk groups. However, India continues to lack a proper strategy to execute the same which in turn puts a large group of people at risk of developing various health complications that can be nipped in the bud with a shot every year.

“A flu shot is not a paediatric ritual and is an equally necessary shield for adults as well. It reduces the chance of severe illness, hospitalisation and it shortens recovery if the infection does occur,” warns Dr Kumaravel.

As an extended benefit, it protects not only the individual but also the elderly folk and children at home from infections that are contagious. Instead of pointing fingers at the lack of guidance, individuals can request their family physicians for the shot every year as the cost of prevention is a fraction of the cost of a preventable health issue.