Mayo Clinic has begun offering Zostavax, a new vaccine that reduces the risk of shingles.
Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox. The virus stays dormant in the body of people who have had chicken pox. It can reappear later as shingles when people age, the clinic's weekly internal newsletter says.
The vaccine is licensed by the Food and Drug Administration for people age 60 and older. It is given as a single injection in the upper arm and works only for people who have never had shingles, according to This Week at Mayo Clinic.
Insurance coverage varies, depending on the insurer.
Memoir writing
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ZUMBROTA -- "The Structure of a Memoir," led by Zumbrota author Catherine Friend, will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 7 at Crossings in Zumbrota. Cost is $35.
Friend will examine the creative ways to structure a memoir. She is the author of "Hit by a Farm," a memoir about her experience of starting a sheep farm with her partner.
To register, call 507-732-7616, or stop in at Crossings, 320 East Ave., Zumbrota.
