Mumbai, May 29: Even as Rajasthan records major gains in immunisation coverage and remains polio-free since 2009, public health experts are now drawing attention to adult vaccination, an emerging healthcare priority in India.
According to data released during National Vaccination Day 2026, vaccination coverage in Rajasthan increased from 21.1% in 1992-93 to 91.8% in 2024-25, contributing substantially to reductions in maternal and infant mortality across the state. At the national level, India’s full immunisation coverage has also risen sharply from 62% in 2015 to 98.4% by January 2026, reflecting the expanding reach and impact of preventive healthcare initiatives.
Against this backdrop IIHMR University organised an awareness session on “Adult Vaccination” featuring Dr. Sudhir Bhandari, Pro-Chancellor and Senior Professor at Jaipur National University (JNU) Institute for Medical Sciences and former Vice Chancellor of Rajasthan University of Health Sciences (RUHS), Jaipur.
Experts at the session noted that increasing urbanisation, changing lifestyles, ageing populations, and post-pandemic health awareness have made preventive healthcare more important than ever before.
During the session, Dr. Bhandari highlighted that, “We got all the vaccination when we were a child or we were very infant. Many adults remain vulnerable to preventable infections due to missed booster dose or lack of awareness. Regular vaccination plays a key role in reducing complication hospital admissions, and long-term health risk. And promoting adult immunization should be an integral part of all our preventive health strategies. Adult vaccines such as influenza, shingles, that is herpes and pneumococcal, help boost our immune system, protect us against the infection.”
The session, organised as part of the university’s “Let’s Talk About Health” initiative, focused on the role of vaccination in reducing the burden of infectious diseases, improving quality of life, and supporting healthier communities.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. P.R. Sodani, President, IIHMR University, said,
“Preventive healthcare is becoming increasingly important in today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. Vaccination remains one of the most cost-effective public health interventions, contributing significantly to the reduction of infectious diseases, child mortality, and the eradication of illnesses such as polio and maternal-neonatal tetanus in India. Through such initiatives we aim to promote informed public dialogue on critical health issues and encourage greater awareness around disease prevention and healthy living.”
Hosted in partnership with GSK, the event engaged in discussions on preventive healthcare practices, vaccine awareness, and the importance of evidence-based health communication.