Lifecourse immunization and adaptation to changing needs of India’s universal immunization program: theory to practice

The Expanded Program on Immunization, introduced in 1974, marks a pivotal milestone in public health and celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024. Originally targeting childhood immunization, the program has expanded to include adolescents and adults, driven by the evolving epidemiology of vaccine-preventable diseases and age-related immunosenescence. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vulnerabilities of older populations, reinforcing the need for a lifecourse approach (LCA) to immunization. The article explores the integration of LCA into global health systems, focusing on low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) and India. The article discusses the critical factors and policy-level efforts that India and countries with similar contexts need to consider in expanding immunization programs across the lifecourse.