Abstract

Adult vaccination for pneumococcal pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease has faced challenges of low awareness and vaccination rates in India. Both the pneumococcal polysaccharide 23-valent vaccine (PPSV23) and 13-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV13) have been available in India and are part of guidelines and recommendations for elderly adults. Recently PCV20 has also been introduced for adults in India. Given India’s diverse socioeconomic profile, as well as generally lower drive among adults for appreciating the need, and spending on vaccines for themselves as compared to their children, it is imperative to use all available vaccines appropriately in adult pneumococcal vaccination practice. Current and evolving pneumococcal serotype epidemiology in Indian adults, availability of real-world data, cost and access of these vaccines, will determine the future pneumococcal vaccination landscape in our country.

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