Why do most Indians skip annual flu shots?
ThePrint explores why influenza vaccination rates remain extremely low in India, citing limited public awareness, perceived mildness of the flu, and high costs. Despite medical consensus that vaccines reduce severe illness and hospitalization, only 1.5% of adults over 45 have received one.
Why it matters
Low vaccination uptake in a large, densely populated country like India poses a significant public health challenge regarding seasonal disease management and hospital burden.
New Delhi: Vimala Rani, a 70-year-old Delhi resident, has been getting a flu vaccine every year since 2023 when her doctor recommended it because she has diabetes and had been treated for breast cancer.
Her son, Pankaj Saluja, said the decision was largely about reducing her risk of serious complications from influenza. “She is diabetic and takes insulin. Considering all these things, because immunity gets down with all these illnesses, we decided to take the flu vaccine,” Saluja told ThePrint.
Since then, Vimala has not had any major flu-like illness, including during the current surge in H1N1 cases in Delhi. “We are now considering getting annual flu vaccines for the whole family,” Saluja said.
Families like Vimala’s are not very common in India, where despite availability of flu vaccines, uptake remains low. There is also no government-funded programme in India that routinely provides seasonal influenza vaccination.
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