Give pneumonia vaccine to all smokers

Tuesday 16th June 2009: Pneumonia vaccine (PV23)  is recommended for all adults ≥65 years of age and in younger patients with a number of conditions that increase the risk of invasive pneumococcal disease (heart, lung, liver, kidney etc. patient)

In the 2009 vaccine schedule, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that cigarette smoking and asthma be added as indications for vaccination with PPV23, said Dr KK Aggarwal President Heart Care Foundation of India and Director IMAAKN Sinha Institute.

The CDC also suggested that smoking cessation therapies be offered along with the vaccine.

Adults who have been diagnosed with invasive pneumococcal disease should also be vaccinated because infection with one serotype does not necessarily provide protection against other serotypes.