An influential U.S. government panel recommends that all smokers be vaccinated against pneumonia. The pneumococcal vaccine should be given to all adult smokers under the age of 65. Those over 65 whether smokers or not are already recommended to take the vaccine in order to help protect against the bacteria that cause pneumonia meningitis and other illnesses. The federal government usually adopts the recommendations of this influential Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The result of this finding is that over 30 million adult smokers in the U.S will soon be getting the vaccine.

In a study of almost 500 babies published last Monday it was found that using a fan in order to create air circulation would seem to decrease the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The standard advice to prevent SIDS is to put infants sleeping on their backs. It is also recommended by Experts to use a firm mattress remove pillows toys and other clutter from cribs and to ensure the baby does not get too warm. Advocating such practices resulted in a more than fifty-percent reduction in the number of SIDS deaths: from almost 5 000 a decade ago to 2 100 today.