As the flu season rolls in, Hunter residents are encouraged to protect themselves and their community by getting this year's flu vaccination.
A nightmare season in 2017 saw more than two hundred and fifty thousand Australians impacted by the virus and more than a thousand flu-related deaths.
Diabetes Australia and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners are emphasising the importance of immunisation for those most at risk, with diabetics and people over 65 years old facing an increased risk of severe infection or death.
Changes to the Government-funded immunisation program sees the addition of two enhanced vaccines for over-65s and the beginning of free flu shots for children aged between six months and five years old. The flu shot is also free for patients with diabetes.
Hunter Primary Care Clinical Director Dr Lee Fong says right now is the ideal time to see your GP to receive the jab as it works most effectively in the first three months following vaccination.
Dr Fong also wants residents to remember that getting vaccinated doesn't just benefit individuals, but helps to keep the entire community safer as well.
More information on eligibility for free flu shots can be found online here.
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| Image source: TripleM |
