GSK launches Vaccinate for Life survey

Finds adult vaccination knowledge gaps in India

GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals (GSK) launches Vaccinate for Life campaign to improve general awareness of the benefits of vaccination throughout life and encourage more conversations between healthcare professionals (HCPs) and their adult patients on vaccination.

Multi-country survey reveals a communication gap between healthcare professionals and adult patients on vaccination throughout life.

A new survey conducted by Ipsos MORI and sponsored by GSK finds that 68 per cent of adults are not up-to-date with the vaccines recommended for them.

Findings from the Vaccinate for Life survey of over 6,002 adults across Brazil, India, United States, Germany and Italy found that:

• 15 per cent of adults believe that vaccinations are only recommended for children and/or babies with 21 per cent thinking they are only needed for travel purposes.
• Just over 3 in 10 adults report not having had any of the vaccines potentially relevant to them within the past five years
• 60 per cent of adults say they have not received information provided by the government on the importance of adult vaccinations.
• Prioritisation of other health services: 53 per cent of adults surveyed agree that although achieving a healthy lifestyle is important, they are more likely to prioritise other health services over vaccination.

Mumbai data

The Vaccinate for Life survey brought out some interesting results from Mumbai too. 41 per cent of adults classified staying in good health as their top priority, followed by a successful career and raising a family (16 per cent), financial comfort (12 per cent), and owning a house and travelling the world (6 per cent). In terms of priorities, 68 per cent of Mumbaikar parents believe that keeping up-to-date on their children’s immunisation is far more important than their own.

GSK recently announced the findings from the ‘Vaccinate for Life’ survey carried out between the dates of July 6 to September 14 whereby 2,002 adults across 6 cities in India were surveyed (Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai). The survey was aimed at ascertaining the awareness and attitudes towards vaccination throughout life among adults aged 18 years and over.

While 42 per cent of adults ranked staying in good physical health as the primary priority to them in life, staying up-to-date with vaccinations is typically less important compared with other ways of staying healthy such as eating healthily, keeping active and not smoking, particularly among males.

Speaking about the Vaccinate for Life survey, – A Vaidheesh, Managing Director, GSK said, “The results of the survey highlight the crying need for awareness about adult vaccination in the country. Most people are familiar with the importance of vaccination in childhood however vaccination is equally important throughout life: for adolescents, adults and older people. According to the UNICEF and the World Bank, only clean drinking water rivals vaccination in its ability to save lives. Despite this longstanding recommendation, the adult vaccination numbers are substantially low. The main reason behind this is a lack of general awareness – a fact that is amply established by the results of the survey.”

Speaking about the campaign, Dr Shafi Kolhapure, Vice President Medical Affairs Vaccines, GSK said, “The Vaccinate for Life campaign has been created in response to the global health need for increased adult vaccination rates. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated that immunisation is one of the most cost-effective interventions in public health and as one of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturers, GSK is committed to creating general awareness about vaccines and to partner with others to encourage vaccination throughout life.”