Smokers urged to get vaccination

More than 31 million adult smokers will soon be called upon to receive a special vaccination, based upon a recommendation recently brought forth by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (Source: "Adult smokers urged to get pneumococcal vaccine," The Toledo Blade, Oct. 23, 2008).

Earlier this week, the committee determined that adult smokers under age 65 should get pneumococcal vaccine, which protects against bacteria that cause illnesses such as pneumonia and meningitis.

Smokers are about four times more likely than nonsmokers to suffer with pneumococcal disease, according to studies. Furthermore, the risk of illness increases proportionately based upon the number of cigarettes smoked. Among vaccine-preventable diseases, pneumococcal infection is the number one cause of death. The infection also makes treatment of influenza more difficult, particularly among elderly patients, and accounts for many of the 36,000 deaths attributed to annually to the flu.