Drug maker Pfizer India and HCMCT Manipal Hospital have collaborated on a dedicated adult vaccination centre at the Dwarka (New Delhi) hospital, in the second such partnership this month.
The multinational company had inked a similar collaboration with Artemis Hospitals recently, and announced similar partnerships with Yashoda Hospitals, KIMS Hospitals, and Apollo Hospital in the past year.
The HCMCT Manipal centre would provide “comprehensive adult vaccination services against various vaccine-preventable diseases, including pneumococcal disease, influenza, human papillomavirus (HPV), and Hepatitis A and B, among others”, according to a joint communication from the companies.
In India, 95 per cent of vaccine-preventable disease deaths occur in adults, the note said.
“The centre will educate healthcare professionals on the benefits of timely adult vaccination, focusing on individuals who are at-risk of chronic health conditions like COPD, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, liver cirrhosis, and those with additional risk factors like smoking, pollution exposure, or those aged 50 years or older, will also benefit from discussing adult vaccination with healthcare practitioners as a preventive healthcare measure,” it said.
Ankita Baidya, Consultant Infectious Disease, HCMCT Manipal Hospital, said, “Vaccine-preventable diseases have a major impact on individuals and communities… This adult vaccination centre will play an important role in promoting adult vaccine awareness, addressing hesitancy, and ensuring equitable access to life-saving vaccines, ultimately strengthening the public health infrastructure.”
Dr Santosh Taur, Director Medical Affairs, Pfizer Vaccines, said the company was committed to promoting public health and speeding up the vaccination process as a vital and effective strategy to protect the community from infections.
Besides looking at patient education, the Pfizer and HCMCT Manipal Hospital initiative will include training modules and capacity-building efforts, guidelines and protocol recommendations for adult vaccination.