Researchers have come up with a vaccine against Staphylococcus aureus, a cause of serious infections in and out of the hospital.
Staphylococcus aureus causes infections of the skin, bones, joints, heart valves and blood. We can treat it with powerful antibiotics but we have had no vaccine to prevent it until now.
Researchers combined some carbohydrates from the staph's outer coat with protein from another bacteria into a vaccine. They then vaccinated nearly 1,800 dialysis patients and followed them for nearly five years.
The vaccine stimulated the immune system of nearly 90 percent of the patients and helped them fight infection. The vaccinated group had 50 percent fewer staph infections than the unvaccinated group.
The immunity lasted for almost three and a half years before wearing off.
Obviously this new staph vaccine requires more research. We need to make it stronger so it lasts longer.
Still the study represents a real breakthrough and is the first step toward producing a vaccine for a dangerous bacteria.
