Flu Shots, Health Screenings, Workshops Highlight Thursday Fair in Toms River

Find everything to take control of your health this Thursday at the Pine Belt Arena in Toms River. The Healthy Students - Healthy Families - Healthy Communities Fair promises to run the gamut to promote wellness as a way of life.

The Ocean County Health Department, Community Medical Center and the Toms River Regional School District are collaborating with clinics, lectures and interactive demonstrations. Everything, except the inoculation clinics, is free.

Good health habits can be passed from one generation to the next - and foster lifestyles that focus on prevention instead of recuperation, saving money and extending lives, say health officials.

County Public Health Coordinator Dan Regenye says that flu shots cost nothing for Medicare Part B subscribers. Everyone else pays a $20 fee. Anyone under age 65 who wants a pneumonia vaccination will be required to show a doctor's recommendation.

Tetanus, diptheria and pertussis (T-dap) inoculations will also be available for $20 each. Health officials urge adults over age 19 who care for children to be injected, citing studies that show most infantile whooping-cough cases being spread from adults.

Community Medical Center staffers offer screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, hearing and grip strength, along with tips about colon and breast cancer.

Sensible gourmands can take part in a Quick and Healthy Cooking demonstration. There'll be a program on aging sensitivity. Toms River police are bringing in vision-impairing goggles that replicate the effects of driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Also on the agenda are a lecture on common sports injuries by Dr. Jess Alcid, and one on effective sleep habits by Dr. Gerald Ferencz.

Admission and parking are free during the fair from 5:30 until 8 PM.