Pulse

Healthline

MOST NURSES lack critical knowledge about administering smallpox vaccine as directed by President Bush's homeland security plans, according to the results of a national survey.

Of the 2,661 practicing nurses queried by the National Network for Immunization Information, only one-fifth believe a vaccination given within a few days of exposure to smallpox would prevent the disease. The vaccine is generally considered effective if administered within 72 hours.

"If nurses don't understand how the smallpox vaccine works, we can be confident that the general public doesn't either," said Dr. Louis Cooper, a professor of pediatrics at Columbia University, after the survey's release.

A "FEARLESS CAREGIVER FORUM" in Tampa promises information, advice and comfort for recipients and givers.

The event is open to family members and professionals and will run from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Dr. Blaise F. Alfano Memorial Conference Center, 11606 McKinley Drive, at the corner of McKinley and E Fowler Avenue, across from the University of South Florida.

Editor-in-chief of Today's Caregiver magazine, Gary Barg, will lead the forum, and a panel of experts will take questions. Panelists include Thomas Skoloda, of the Gulf Coast Alzheimer's Association, and Kathy Monroe, director of the Caregiver Initiative for the West Florida Area Agency on Aging.

The agency has a limited number of complementary registrations for those age 60 and over who reside in designated counties. Information is available at www.caregiver.com or by calling 1-800-829-2734. Purchased tickets cost $20 ($30 at the door) and are available in advance at the same phone number and Web site. Registration includes the program, lunch and a six-month subscription to Today's Caregiver.

ZHI GANG SHA, a Chinese-American medical doctor educated in Beijing and the United States, will present a workshop on how the body can heal itself.

Sha is a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, including acupuncture, tai chi and feng shui (www.drsha.com). He is author of Power Healing: The Four Keys to Energizing Your Body, Mind & Spirit. The San Francisco Examiner called him a "vital and upbeat wizard in a business suit."

The "Power Healing" workshop will be 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at First Unity Church, 469 45th Ave. N, in St. Petersburg.

Admission to the workshop is $25 in advance, $30 at the door. For information or to make reservations, phone (727) 527-2222 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. today through Thursday.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.