Disease prevention experts to speak at DMCC event

A talk on two diseases that often strike the elderly — shingles and pneumococcal — will be sponsored by Del Mar Community Connections (DMCC) at 1:30 p.m. July 7 at the City Hall Annex, 235 11th St., Del Mar. Reservations are required and may be made by calling the DMCC at (858) 792-7565.

Members of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists at the UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy will discuss the diseases of shingles and pneumococcal, the importance of being vaccinated, where to get the vaccine, and how much it costs.

Shingles occurs when the virus that causes chickenpox reactivates. The most common complication of shingles is postherpetic neuralgia, which lasts at least 30 days and may continue for months to years.

Symptoms include persistent pain that may linger for years and extreme sensitivity to touch. Pneumococcal disease is caused by a common bacterium, which can attack different parts of the body.

Some groups are at particularly high risk for pneumococcal disease or its complications, including people 65 or older and individuals with weak immune systems. Both can be treated with vaccines.

UCSD-ASCP is a professional organization at UCSD dedicated to senior care and geriatric pharmacy and is not affiliated with any drug company nor soliciting services.