ATLANTA – A government panel has recommended vaccination especially for smokers, for the very first time. The panel decided that, smokers under 65 should get pneumococcal vaccine.

The shot is already recommended for adults aged 65 or older and provides protection against pneumonia, meningitis and other illnesses.

Studies have already proven that smokers higher degree than nonsmokers to suffer pneumococcal disease. Also, the number of cigarettes someone smokes each day is directly proportional to odds of developing illnesses.

The reason for, why smokers are highly susceptible is not exactly known. But some scientists believe, because smoking cause damage to lung which provide bacteria an atmosphere to attack lungs and trachea (windpipe).

Pneumococcal infections are top killer among vaccine-preventable diseases. It’s an advanced complication of influenza, specifically in the elderly. It is also responsible for, around 36,000 deaths per year.

…Click here to read more

A group of German Researchers have found a medical benefit associated with a tattoo rather than just being popular as a fashion statement. According to an article published in the online open access journal, “Genetic Vaccines and Therapy”, it has prospective medical value.Martin Müller and his team working in one of the ‘German Cancer Research Centers’ in Heidelberg, Germany, have found that tattooing could emerge as a more efficient way of delivering DNA vaccines than the conventional way of injecting it intramuscularly.

The researchers used a coat protein from the ‘human papillomavirus (HPV)’, which is the cause of cervical cancer, as a model DNA vaccine antigen. Instead of inserting it in a standard intramuscular way, they tried to deliver it by tattooing the skin of mice with the standard intramuscular injection. They observed the impact in two conditions, when they added the molecular adjuvant, often given to boost immune response and without it.

…Click here to read more