The Government of Goa has launched a 10-year policy aimed at extending the benefits of vaccination beyond childhood and integrating adult immunisation into routine healthcare.
Titled Goa Policy for Life-course Immunisation 2026–2036, the policy was formally released on September 23 by Vishwajit Pratapsingh Rane, Health Minister, Government of Goa. Goa becomes the first state in India to adopt a dedicated policy focused on life-course immunisation.
The policy and its operational guidelines were developed by the Directorate of Health Services, Goa, in collaboration with Goa Institute of Management (GIM) and Goa Medical College, following consultations with experts at the state and national levels.
Focus on adults with health conditions
The policy seeks to strengthen protection against vaccine-preventable diseases among adults, particularly those who face a higher risk of severe infections because of existing health conditions.
It identifies people living with non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, kidney disease and cancer as key beneficiaries.
The first phase will focus on pneumococcal, influenza and hepatitis B vaccination for eligible adults. This will include people living with diabetes and chronic heart, lung, kidney or liver diseases, cancer patients, immunocompromised individuals, as well as healthcare and other frontline workers, subject to the policy’s eligibility criteria.
Specialist and NCD clinics at Goa Medical College and district hospitals will identify eligible beneficiaries and facilitate vaccination.
Digital tracking and monitoring
The implementation framework will include centralised vaccine procurement, strengthening of cold-chain capacity and digital tracking of vaccination coverage.
The policy will also provide for monitoring of adverse events following immunisation, while periodic reviews will allow vaccination priorities to be reassessed based on emerging scientific evidence, technologies and recommendations.
Yatindra M. Maralkar, IAS, Secretary (Health), Government of Goa, said, “Public health policy must evolve with changing population needs, disease patterns and scientific evidence. Our newly launched policy allows priorities to be reassessed as new evidence, technologies and recommendations emerge.”
GIM’s role in policy development
Goa Institute of Management (GIM) contributed to the development of the policy, with Prof. Ajay Vamadevan, Professor, and Dr Praveen Pradeep, Associate Professor, among the faculty members involved in the initiative.
Prof. Arun A. Elias, Director, Goa Institute of Management, said, “At Goa Institute of Management, we embrace our mission of responsible leadership, and contributing to Goa’s development, including its healthcare needs, is part of that. This Life-course Immunisation Policy shows what that looks like in practice: research on adult vaccination that has become something that can actually protect adults across the state from preventable diseases.”
The launch was followed by a panel discussion on “From policy to implementation in Goa, and implications for national adoption”, bringing together experts in public health, clinical medicine and health policy.
The discussions focused on implementation challenges, opportunities to expand adult immunisation and the potential implications of Goa’s approach for wider adoption.
The 2026–2036 policy is designed as an evolving framework, with evidence-based monitoring, digital tracking and periodic review intended to keep the programme aligned with emerging clinical evidence and national immunisation guidance