Last fall, we heard a lot about staph infections, especially the drug-resistant type. It's a problem that was around long before that and hasn't gone away. Some researchers are now testing the first shot to prevent those nasty infections.
When Barbara Stout found out she needed open heart surgery, she immediately wondered if she'd get a staph infection.
"It was a big, big worry on my mind. Because once you've had that experience, it's not fun to go through," Barbara said.
Two years ago, Barbara spent six days in the hospital battling staph in an incision after hernia surgery. This time, her heart surgeon asked her if she'd like to take part in a study of the first vaccine for staph. The shot includes protection against MRSA, the drug resistant staph.
"This vaccine allows you to kind of pump up your immune system for an operation, develop a high level of antibodies," Dr. Keith Allen said. "And at least in animals, it really had a dramatic effect."
The vaccine is first being tested in heart surgery patients. They and others who are sick and hospitalized are most vulnerable to severe staph infections and death. Dr. Allen said if the vaccine proves safe and effective, it might also be given to healthy people since they're increasingly at risk for MRSA.
"This could ultimately be something, just like your mumps, measles, rubella and tetanus, you may get a staph vaccine," Dr. Allen said.
Some patients in the study get the real vaccine. Others, a placebo. Barbara doesn't know what she got. Her heart surgery was more than two weeks ago.
"I'm doing real well," she said. "No infection. So I'm praying I got the good stuff and everything's gonna work out just fine."
Research of the vaccine will take 18 months.
Patients in the study get the vaccine two weeks before surgery to give them time to build up antibodies against staph.
For more information on MRSA and other Staph infections..and prevention -
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007261.htm