Breath by breath: the fight against pneumonia’s toll
In India, for the majority, vaccination is almost synonymous with the vaccination of children. However, among the older population, mortality due to pneumonia is so common that it is often called “The Captain of Death,” and it is proven that pneumococcal vaccination prevents or lessens the severity of a major subset of pneumonia cases. However, a systematic review that surveyed research articles from 2010 to 2020 regarding vaccination in the Indo-Pacific, found that the adult pneumococcal vaccination rate in India is one of the lowest in the region.
This is not specific to pneumococcal vaccines and is reflective of a broader trend in India of very low adult vaccination rates.
Beyond pneumonia’s impact on health, it poses a significant economic burden on both households and the healthcare system. The direct costs of treatment are substantial. They encompass hospitalisation, medication, diagnostics, and other healthcare services. A 2014 study estimated it to be INR 249,199 for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) after adjusting for demographic characteristics. The cost for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), according to another 2024 study, varied across facilities, averaging INR 210,862 in private hospitals and INR 5,575 in government hospitals for inpatient treatment and INR 4,121 in private and INR200 in government facilities for outpatient treatment.
ACCRECENT and CMEPEDIA offer a free course based on the Indian guidelines for Pneumonia vaccination in India, to make Indian healthcare professionals active agents to administer these vaccines.
