FLU SHOT TIME IS HERE! The Fight the Flu Clinic from INOVA will be at Pohick Church on Sunday, November 11 from 8:30 am until 10:30 am. There will be enough vaccine for approximately 60 people.

If you are over 65 and have Medicare, please bring the card - otherwise the cost for the vaccine is $25. All questions should be directed to Carol Heddleston at cheddleston@comcast.net.

On the topic of vaccines, there is now a Shingles vaccine approved in May 2006 for people 60 and older. Anyone who has had chicken pox can get shingles, but it is most common for those between the ages of 60 and 80.

According to the NIH, 50% of all Americans will have had shingles by age 80. Fever, headache, chills or upset stomach may be the first sign that something is wrong. Burning, tingling, itching and numbness can occur before blisters form. There may also be throbbing, or stabbing pain and itching along a sensory nerve path called a dermatome.

There can be a few or numerous blisters, but they will clear up in a week or two. Once they have scabbed over they are no longer contagious. People who have NOT had chicken pox can develop chicken pox after coming in contact with the open blister. The main complication of shingles is a condition called post-herpetic neuralgia. This condition causes severe pain and can greatly reduce quality of life.

The shingles vaccine is available at the Health Department for $185. It is NOT covered by Medicare, but some insurance plans MAY cover some of it. For further information checkout the website: www.zostavax.com.