An influential United States Government panel recommended this week that smokers receive the pneumococcal vaccine to protect against bacteria that cause illnesses such as meningitis and pneumonia.

It was reportedly the first time the Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices recommended a vaccination specifically for smokers.

The chairman of the AMA's council of general practice, Rod Pearce, said the vaccine should be freely available to people at risk of contracting the disease, which included smokers.

''I think vaccines need to be freely available to patients at the time when they're seeing their doctor,'' Dr Pearce, who is also a member of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, said.

''I would support any scheme that makes them more freely available, either by GPs being able to prescribe and dispense them, patients being able to get subsidies if they're given by doctors or a national immunisation program that supports a vaccine being available directly to a patient.''

Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council already recommends the pneumococcal vaccine for smokers.

The pneumococcal vaccine is not part of the National Immunisation Program for adults aged under 65, but it is available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme at a subsidised cost to eligible healthcare cardholders.

Smokers are at a significantly higher risk of contracting pneumococcal disease compared with non-smokers. Studies show a pneumococcal vaccine is of proven benefit to smokers.

Dr Pearce said smoking damaged the protective mechanism in a smoker's respiratory system, which increased the risk of disease and complications.

He said a vaccine for smokers was about helping people decrease their risk of serious illness.

''Retribution for someone who smokes isn't the best policy,'' he said.

''It's about helping them understand the risk and minimising the risk. If they can't stop smoking, then keeping them safe as possible and helping them understand the consequences is a good public health policy.''

Quit Victoria executive director Fiona Sharkie said the best thing smokers could do for their health was to quit smoking. Smoking kills one out every two long-term users and it remains the No1 cause of preventable death in Australia.

''They're more likely to get any number of diseases from cancers to heart disease to blindness,'' Ms Sharkie said. ''If you smoke, you're playing Russian Roulette with your life, basically. Something's going to get you.''