Not convinced you need a flu vaccine?
Influenza, also known as the flu, is easily passed from person to person through sneezing, coughing and even if someone is talking to you from up 1 meter away. You can infect others a day before you show any symptoms, and up to a week after becoming sick.
Last year Australia had the largest flu season since the 2009 epidemic and according to recent figures, the number of flu cases recorded during Queensland's summer of 2018 has already beaten records set this time last year.

With the flu season approaching and well publicised, the influenza vaccine is now readily available and easily accessible to you. But because the flu illness is so common, it's significance, unlike the number of cases, is unfortunately reduced.
"Worldwide, just over 10,000 people died in the 2014-15 West African outbreak of Ebola: a relatively new, frighteningly contagious illness that people feared could become a global pandemic. It’s not surprising that it got a lot of attention. Yet the tens of thousands who died of influenza in...the same year barely made the news."1
You may well disregard the need to get one for yourself. Why bothering getting the vaccine if you're a healthy person under 65 who rarely gets sick? It's just an added expense and time out of my day, right?
We're here to tell you that getting a flu vaccine is your way of fighting the flu for yourself and others. Taking proactive steps to staying healthy and being part of a health solution that can provide herd immunity (the resistance to the spread of a contagious disease within a population) for others, especially babies and older people who are most susceptible.
'Be A Flu Fighter' is Hawthorne Clinic's 2018 campaign against influenza. We want to encourage you to 'be a flu fighter' and join us in working towards dramatically reducing this potentially serious and far too common virus.
Visit our Be A Flu Fighter page to find out more about taking part in this campaign and book your Flu Vax with us.
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LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE FLU VACCINE
OVERVIEW:
Annual vaccination is the most important measure to prevent influenza and its complications.
Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all persons ≥6 months of age.
For adults aged ≥65 years, in addition to the quadrivalent influenza vaccines (QIVs), two higher-immunogenicity trivalent influenza vaccine are available and NIP-funded.
The Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccination is available privately ($22.50) as part of a standard doctors consultation or in the Flu Clinics from 1st April.
The same vaccine is available to those who qualify under the government immunisation schedule (no charge) from mid April.
While protection is generally expected to last for the whole season, receiving your Flu Vax from April onwards will promote optimum protection over the peak flu season of June to September 2018.
TIMING OF VACCINATIONS:
Annual vaccination before the onset of each influenza season is recommended.
The period of peak influenza circulation is typically June to September for most parts of Australia.
While protection is generally expected to last for the whole season, optimal protection against influenza occurs within the first 3 to 4 months following vaccination. The Hawthorne Clinic Flu Clinics open from the 1st April.
It is never too late to vaccinate since influenza can circulate all year round.
INFLUENZA VACCINE IF YOU'RE PREGNANT:
Influenza vaccine is recommended in every pregnancy, preferably prior to the onset of the influenza season.
Influenza vaccination during pregnancy also provides protection to the infant.
The 2018 influenza vaccine can be received by a pregnant woman even if a 2017 influenza vaccine has been given earlier within the current pregnancy.
ELIGIBILITY FOR INFLUENZA VACCINES FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL IMMUNISATION PROGRAM (NIP):
Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all persons ≥6 months of age.
Influenza vaccines are funded on the NIP for the following groups, due to their increased risk of complications from influenza:
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander persons aged 6 months to <5 years or ≥15 years
All adults aged ≥65 years
All persons aged >5 years who have certain medical conditions which increase the risk of influenza disease complications; for example, severe asthma, lung or heart disease, low immunity or diabetes.
Pregnant women (during any stage of pregnancy)
All children >6 months to <5 years
1. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/15/upshot/flu-shot-deaths-herd-immunity.html