With both the need for preventative healthcare measures as well as the cost of medical services on the rise throughout the country, Edgewater will host two different events in October that will protect residents against infection by influenza viruses and another that will aid in detection of eye conditions such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. The clinics will be free and open to the public.

The Center for Disease Control recommends that everyone six months and older get vaccinated for influenza viruses by the end of October. Alderman Harry Osterman in conjunction with the City of Chicago Dept. of Public Health will hold a free flu vaccination clinic Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the 48th Ward Office (5533 N. Broadway).

There is no appointment needed for the free vaccination. If you have a Medicare card, please bring it with you. For more information on the free flu clinic, please contact 773-784-5277 or ginger@48thward.org.

In addition, there will be a separate event on Thursday, Oct. 10 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Broadway Armory (5917 N. Broadway) offering retina screenings at no cost to participants. Hosted by the Chicago Uptown Lions in cooperation with the Lions of Illinois Foundation, the mobile retina screening unit will be parked outside the armory.

A trained technician will be operating special cameras that will be able to take photos of a person’s retinas to help in the detection of multiple eye conditions through state-of-the-art equipment. The exam, which only takes a couple of minutes, is painless and patients will be given a document they can take to their doctor.

There will also be a collection for used eye glasses (no cases please) and hearing aids at the retina screening event. These items will be recycled by the Lions of Illinois Foundation and provided to third world countries and others in need. Uptown Lions members will be available at the event if you have any questions.