Health notes: Visiting Nurses to begin seasonal flu shot clinics this week

Still trying to get a seasonal flu shot with the limited supply available this season? The Michigan Visiting Nurses have begun offering seasonal flu shots again locally, starting with a clinic planned in Dexter this weekend.

On Saturday, Dec. 5, a walk-in clinic will be held at the original location of St. Joseph Catholic Church, 3430 Dover St. in Dexter. That clinic will last from noon to 3 p.m. 

The organization will also offer the seasonal flu shots from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Dec. 12 and Dec. 19 at its location at 2850 S. Industrial, Suite 75.

The clinics are for the seasonal flu shot only and do not include the swine flu, or H1N1 flu, virus vaccine. That's being offered by certain health care providers and the county.

The Michigan Visiting Nurses accepts Medicare Part B, any Medicare Advantage Plan, and the Blue Care Network, including Premier Care, Health Alliance Plan, Priority Health HMO and Priority Health PPO. The cost of the flu shot is otherwise $33 and can be paid in cash, check or VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.

Public flu clinics will be added to the website www.umvn.org as they are scheduled. For a weekly listing of flu clinics, call the flu hotline at (734) 477-7299.

U-M study on phantom pain treatment gets VA backing

University of Michigan research on treating phantom pain from nerve damage is getting $1.8 million in funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

It is also receiving additional funding for a trial of one treatment from Swedish drug-maker Diamyd Medical AB's Pittsburgh-based U.S. subsidiary, the Associated Press reported.

Researchers are examining previous findings of pain-fighting genetic material derived from herpes viruses by applying it to the skin.

The research is examining neuropathic pain where there is no obvious tissue damage, it was reported.

U-M study shows high rate of female urinary incontinence incidence

More than half of a group of women surveyed by University of Michigan researchers had experienced urinary incontinence in the past year, and nearly 40 percent said they’d had in the last week, it was reported on Nurse.com this weekend.

The study was published in the November issue of the American Journal of Medicine.

Increasing severity of symptoms was associated with lower quality of life, the report said.

Tina Reed covers health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. You can reach her at tinareed@annarbor.com, call her at 734-623-2535 or find her on Twitter @TreedinAA.