Breaking Update: Here’s a clear explanation of the latest developments related to Breaking News:GSK calls for more conversations on shingles prevention in adults– What Just Happened and why it matters right now.
Shalini Menon, Executive Vice President (Medical Affairs), GSK India
Despite the “day-disrupting” pain caused by shingles, an infection caused by the same virus as chicken-pox – prevention is not part of the discussion among adults with chronic diseases, says British biopharmaceutical company GSK, citing findings from a global survey commissioned by them.
“India is living longer but not necessarily healthier,” said Shalini Menon, Executive Vice President (Medical Affairs), GSK India, pointing out that as people age, they are likely to get affected by diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, kidney diseases and lung disease, further weakening the immune system and the body’s ability to fight infections. And yet the survey revealed limited awareness about the link between chronic conditions and immune health among ageing adults, she said.
About 43 per cent of Indians who participated in the survey (who have had shingles) reported severe, “day-disrupting pain”, with over one in three saying that it stopped them from working or attending social events, the survey found. “Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) experienced the greatest disruption, while diabetes and CVD patients reported the highest emotional toll,” it added.
Shingles is caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes chickenpox. And GSK’s shingles vaccine was launched in India, early 2023, for adults over 50 years. While India is relatively new to adult vaccines, GSK’s shingles vaccine has been approved in 18-year-olds and above in China, and its pre-filled syringe version has recently been approved in the United States.
Responding to a businessline query, Menon said, the pre-filled syringe system is on the company’s radar, but it was too early to confirm any plans for India. The multinational company was in the process of gathering data on the performance of this vaccine in those who have taken it locally, before it could be taken further into the public health services delivery system, she said. Like childhood immunisation, the aim is to make preventive adult vaccines part of life course, to bring down healthcare costs, she said. The two-dose vaccine is presently available in the private market, at about ₹11,000 per dose.
Japan’s experience
Outlining the importance of preventive healthcare conversations, as the population ages, the company cited the example of Japan.
In 2020, Japan’s adults aged 65 and above accounted for nearly 29 per cent of its population, a demographic shift that coincided with a more than 50 per cent rise in shingles cases across that population, GSK said.
“The growing public health impact led Japan to incorporate shingles vaccination in its immunisation protocols in certain provinces, targeting elderly individuals aged 65 and older,” the company said, adding that India is on a similar demographic trajectory.
“The country’s population aged over 60, currently estimated at 153 million, is expected to more than double to 347 million by 2050.21 This ageing shift is already being reflected in the country’s health profile. More than 75 million older adults are living with at least one chronic condition, while 27 percent are managing multiple long-term illnesses, including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Together, advancing age and chronic disease are set to place a rapidly growing number of Indians at an elevated risk of shingles,” the company said.
Published on February 26, 2026