Context: There is a strong case to provide Nutrition sufficiency among citizens to increase immunity against infections. 

Why we need to provide nutrition sufficiency? 
The need for adequate nutrition is summarized as follows, 

First, the strength and duration of the vaccine response do not depend entirely on the vaccine, it also depends on age, nutritional status, and existing health condition among the persons receiving the vaccines. 

• Second, nutrition is an important influencer of both natural immunity and adaptive immunity. Ignoring the nutrition aspect will lead to neglect of nutrition in public health policies. 

Third, the body’s reaction to vaccination depends on nutritional status. For example, diets having high levels of ultra-processed foods may incite high levels of inflammations in the body, and also, they adversely affect the composition of healthy biomes in our gut thereby adversely affecting our immunity. 

• Fourth, even studies from various vaccination drives such as cholera, Rota virus have shown that specific nutrition’s are vital for our immunity. For example, Zinc, selenium, vitamin E can enhance natural immunity. 

Fifth, Recent studies have shown that even cellular immunity is influenced by nutrition. For example, 

• Studies from Japan tested with mice states that nutritional state is important for preventing the infectious disease from vaccination 
• Similarly, a study from France revealed that elderly persons who have received Zinc, selenium supplements were able to develop more antibodies and fewer respiratory infections compared to others who didn’t receive Zinc, selenium supplements. 

What needs to be done to achieve nutritional security? 

First, we can think of providing nutrition counseling during mass immunization Programme. Enabling people to consume nutritional food will enhance their immunity levels and help to build a robust immune response. 

• Second, we need to reconsider our agricultural priorities and need to reshape our food systems. 
• For this, we need to replace processed foods and cereal stripped of Fibre foods with pulses, millets, vegetables, nuts, and fish. 

Third, we need to plan effective strategies for mitigating the adversities of climate change. For example, a recent study from Columbia has found that climate change can negatively impact the nutritional quality of staples resulting in an increase in zinc-deficiency, protein-deficiency, and iron deficiency. 

• Diversification of crops by replacing rice cultivation partly with sorghum, millets can improve nutritional food security in India along with enhancing Indi’s climate resilience. 

Fourth, ultra-processed foods can be regulated and taxed to improve their production, promotion, and consumption. 

• India needs to think on a nutritional strategy that makes consumption of nutritional foods available and affordable which can enable people for consuming balanced diet that promotes good growth and good health. The above steps not only will increase nutritional security but also reduces the risk of Zoonotic infections like Covid 19.