2021 Flu Season:
The 2021 Flu vaccinations have arrived and are now available.  As per previous years we are are running Flu Clinics to administer the vaccinations.

Flu Clinics need to be book by phoning for an appointment.

Private Flu immunisation price will remain at $14.  The Flu clinic consultation fee will be Bulk Billed for ALL patients.

Flu season is rapidly approaching. Most people who contract influenza will suffer symptoms for several days before recovering. However, many people, especially those with chronic health conditions and the elderly, will be hospitalised with serious complications and some will die.

Annual vaccination against the influenza virus is the most effective measure to prevent influenza and its complications.

Annual influenza immunisation is now recommended for everyone ≥6 months of age, with the exception of those with medical contraindications.

The Vaccine:

All funded vaccines available for use in Australia for the 2021 flu season are quadrivalent (four strains- two influenza A and two influenza B) and contain the following strains:
  • an A/Victoria/2570/2019 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
  • an A/Hong Kong/2671/2019 (H3N2)-like virus;
  • a B/Washington/02/2019-like (B/Victoria lineage) virus; 
  • a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like (B/Yamagata lineage) virus
 ​
​Influenza vaccine DOES NOT contain a live virus – it cannot cause influenza.
 
Vaccination against influenza DOES NOT prevent colds

Government funded, free influenza vaccines are available for:

  • ​All people ≥ 65 years of age
  • All pregnant women
  • All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders from ≥ 6 months of age
  • Residents in residential care facilities​
  • All Children ≥ 6 months of age and less than 5 years
  • Older Children and adults, with a chronic illness such as:
    • Heart disease
    • Renal or metabolic disease (diabetes, blood disorders, kidney failure etc.)
    • Respiratory illness such as asthma, emphysema and other lung diseases
    • Immuno-suppressed people (e.g. malignancy, chemotherapy, HIV etc.)
    • Chronic neurological disorders including epilepsy and multiple sclerosis
    • Other chronic illness which increase risk
Influenza vaccine dosage for children
​
All children six months to less than nine years of age receiving flu vaccine for the first time should receive two doses at least one month apart to improve their immune response. Otherwise, if a child in this age group has received at least one flu vaccine in a previous flu season they only require one dose each subsequent year.
Influenza vaccine should not be given where the person:
  • Severe  allergic to eggs, feathers or neomycin
  • Has had a severe allergic reaction to a previous influenza vaccine
  • Has a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome
  • Has a fever over 38.5 degrees Celsius

​People with an egg allergy including a history of anaphylaxis can be safely vaccinated with influenza vaccine.

IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT ALLERGIES, TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR.

Possible Adverse Reactions:

Common side effects may include:

  • pain, redness and swelling at the injection site
  • drowsiness, tiredness or irritability
  • muscle aches
  • low grade fever of 37 to 38 degrees Celsius.
  • ​Up to 10% of people may feel a bit off colour and have local redness and soreness at the injection site
​
Very rarely (possibly 1 in a million vaccinations) vaccination may be associated with Guillain-Barre Syndrome – an inflammation of nerves which causes variable degrees of usually reversible paralysis

There is a very small risk of anaphylaxis. It is therefore recommended that patients remain in the waiting room for 15-20 minutes following vaccination