As India debates the inclusion of the typhoid conjugate vaccine in its Universal Immunisation Programme, it is time to ask whether Hepatitis A — a growing cause of acute liver failure — deserves even greater priority. A safe, effective, and long-lasting indigenous vaccine already exists; what is missing is the policy decision. India’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) has been one of the most successful public health initiatives in the developing world. It eradicated polio, curbed measles deaths, and saved millions of young lives. Yet as the country’s health landscape changes, so too must its immunisation priorities.

A recent article in The Hindu made a strong case for introducing the typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) into the UIP. The argument is compelling: India bears half of

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