Pneumonia vaccine urged for smokers

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel says smokers should be vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia.

The vaccine is currently recommended for children, adults more than 65 and anyone with chronic illnesses and weakened immune systems. The new recommendation, which is expected to be formally adopted, would expand the recommendation to include smokers ages 19 to 64, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.

"The risk of getting pneumococcal pneumonia among smokers is substantially greater than among non-smokers, so it makes sense to recommend that smokers get the vaccine," Dr. Norman H. Edelman of the American Lung Association told the newspaper. "But that in no way protects you from all of the terrible things that smoking will do."

The pneumococcal vaccine protects against 23 types of Streptococcus pneumoniae, the report said.