Vaccine ready to combat influenza

Published Sunday, 19 April, 2015 at 03:23 PM

JOINT STATEMENT

Premier and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk

Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance Services
The Honourable Cameron Dick

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has urged vulnerable Queenslanders to take up the offer of a free influenza vaccination.

More than 135,000 doses of influenza vaccine have arrived as part of the first round of the nationally-funded Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Program.

Lining up to get her flu shot along with Health Minister Cameron Dick, Ms Palaszczuk said from tomorrow, high-risk groups would be able to access the vaccination from their local GP.

“The annual influenza vaccination is the single most effective measure to prevent the flu,” she said.

“The vaccination has been shown to reduce illness, hospitalisation and death, especially, within high-risk groups.”

Mr Dick said that immunisation providers registered with the Department of Health should have received their first delivery of the vaccine on Friday.

“This delivery will allow providers to be prepared for the program launch tomorrow,” Minister Dick said.

“Providers, including GPs, Community Health Organisations, and Hospital and Health Services will be able to re-order each week until 20 June.

“This will ensure that all people entitled to receive a funded vaccination under the federal program will be able to do so.”

The Department of Health distributes the influenza vaccine as part of the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Program where the vaccine is provided free for the high-risk groups:

  • Older Queenslanders, aged 65 years and over
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged from six months-five years and over 15 years
  • Pregnant women
  • Queenslanders with a medical condition that can lead to severe influenza.

For more information on the nationally-funded Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Program, got to tinyurl.com/flu-vac-qld

Media contact: 0437 533 172