ROTARY CLUB HEARS FROM ROTARIAN ROB EASTIN

NOVEMBER 15, 2016

     The Rotary Club today (Tuesday) heard from guest speaker Rob Eastin, a pharmacist who discussed vaccinations with fellow club members.

     As pharmacy manager at the Ville Platte Walmart location, Eastin, said more and more physicians are no longer doing vaccinations and people are now depending more on pharmacists for vaccinations for children as well as adults.

     Eastin said children ages 6 months old and above should get a flu vaccine. He said despite rumors to the contrary, one cannot get the flu from getting the flu shot. It takes about 2 weeks for the vaccine to begin working in the body.

    Another vaccine that is given is to combat pneumonia. Some 900,000 Americans get pneumonia each year and 5-7 percent die from the illness.

    There is also a vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough..

    Eastin said he gets requests for the shingles vaccine. One in three adults will develop a case of the shingles in their lives. There are about one million cases of shingles each year. The vaccine is recommended for those 60 and over and helps reduce the painful attacks.

   Another important vaccine is to combat polio that has been eradicated in most parts of the world thanks to the efforts of rotary clubs worldwide. Since 1985, Rotary International has spent over 1.6 billion dollars in vaccines. Currently the disease is found in three countries: Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan. More than one million rotary club members worldwide have donated their time and resources in the polio eradication.