Many factors can influence our health from our family history to our social, physical and economic environment to our own individual coping skills. Some of these factors are, to varying degrees within our control, but one area where people can influence their health positively is through their own personal health practices.
Keeping yourself informed to make healthy food and lifestyle choices is an important way to improve your overall health and sense of well-being.
Flinders Island is well serviced by a fully equipped Multi-Purpose Centre (MPC), with Royal Flying Doctor Service for emergencies.
A resident doctor (with surgery hours) services the community, with the surgery being open 3 days a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) and appointments made for other times.
There are 4 high-care beds, 4 low-care beds and 5 acute care beds for people who are sick but do not require further treatment in Launceston.
Specialists visit the island regularly to provide services not provided by the resident doctor, these include:
To contact the Flinders Island MPC phone: (03) 6359 2122
Immunisation protects children and adults against harmful infections before they come into contact with them in the community.
Protection against nine diseases is achieved by routine childhood immunisation -
All of these diseases can cause serious complications and sometimes death.
Most immunisation is given as an injection but in the case of polio the vaccine is given by mouth.
Is Everyone Protected from Disease by Immunisation?
Immunisation gives a very good level of protection against these diseases. However, even when all the doses of a vaccine have been given, not everyone will avoid getting the disease.
Measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, polio and Hib vaccines protect more than 95% of children, when they complete the course. Three doses of pertussis vaccine protect about 80% of children who have been immunised; in the other 20% of children the disease will not be as severe, if they become infected.
Booster doses are needed because immunity decreases over time.
Why Should I Immunise My Child?
There are three reasons for immunising children in Australia.
1. Immunisation is the only effective way of giving protection against the disease. After vaccination your child is far less likely to catch the disease if there are cases in the community.
2. If enough people in the community are immunised, the infection can no longer be spread from person to person and the disease dies out altogether. This is how smallpox was eliminated from the world, and polio has been wiped out in many countries.
3. Despite excellent hospital care, significant illness and deaths still occur from diseases that can be prevented.
School Program
Council offers a free immunisation service to the community. Each year the Council's Health Team visits the school to provide immunisation for those requesting it.
All immunisations are given by Council's Medical Officer of Health. There is also a registered nurse in attendance at these school sessions
Consent forms will be distributed to children in the grades where we expect boosters to be due. If your child is not in one of these grades, but has missed any of the injections listed on the Schedule over the page, you can collect a "Catch-up" form from the school office. Consent forms must be completed in black or blue pen.
If you have any problems completing the form please phone the Flinders Council Medical Officer on 6359 2131.
The School Immunisation Program
The School Immunisation Program is co-ordinated by the Flinders Council. Staff at the Flinders Island Multi Purpose Centre (Department of Health & Human Services) provides assistance with this program. As records are kept at the Flinders Island Multi Purpose Centre, administrative assistance is provided to maintain the records.
The Community Nurse also provides assistance to the Medical Officer for Health during the immunisation sessions. Immunisation of pre-school aged children is carried out by either the District Medical officer or the General Practitioners that visit the Island. Details of all immunisation are sent to the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register.
Age Due Disease/s Prevented
2 Months: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whooping Cough; Polio; Hib (Meningitis, Epiglottitis, Cellulitis), Hepatitis B (for those born after May '00).
4 Months: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whooping Cough; Polio;Hib (Meningitis, Epiglottitis, Cellulitis)
6 Months: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whooping Cough; Polio;Hib (Meningitis, Epiglottitis, Cellulitis)
12 Months: Measles, Mumps, Rubella
18 Months: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whooping Cough;Hib (Meningitis, Epiglottitis, Cellulitis)
4-5 Years: (Usually pre-school entry or Kinder) Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whooping Cough; PolioMeasles, Mumps, Rubella
11-12 years: (Usually grade 6) Hepatitis B (Course of 2 doses)
15 years: (Usually grade 10) Diphtheria, Tetanus
Disease Side Effects of Vaccination
Polio - contagious virus spread by faeces and saliva. Incubation: 1-2 weeks, then fever, headache, nausea and vomiting. May progress to severe muscle pain and stiffness of neck and back, followed by paralysis. About 1 in 20 hospitalised patients dies and 1 in 2 patients who survive is permanently paralysed. Less than 1 in 100 recipients develop diarrhoea, headache, and/or muscle pains. 1 in 2.5 million recipients or close contacts develop paralysis.
Diphtheria - contagious bacteria spread by nasal droplets. Incubation: 2-5 days, then severe sore throat with swollen glands. The patient is infectious for up to 2 weeks About 1 in 15 patients dies. The bacteria release a toxin, which can produce nerve paralysis and heart failure. DTPa vaccine - about 1 in 10 have local.
Tetanus - disease caused by the toxin of bacteria present in soil and animal faeces. Incubation: 3-21 days, then excruciatingly painful muscle spasms and convulsions. About 1 in 10 patients dies. The risk is greatest for the very young or very old. inflammation or fever. Serious adverse events are very rare, and much less common than previously used vaccines.
Pertussis (Whooping Cough) - contagious bacteria spread by coughing and nasal droplets. Incubation: 7-10 days, then a runny nose and irritating cough, which may develop into desperate whooping and vomiting. About 1 in 200 whooping cough patients under the age of 6 months dies from pneumonia or brain damage.
Hepatitis B - liver infection usually spread through blood/body fluid contact (eg; may happen on sports field), through sexual contact or from mother to child at birth. Incubation: 45-180 days People can be unaware that they are carriers for many years. The disease is particularly nasty, causing severe complications of the liver, including liver cancer. Side effects are very uncommon, and if they do occur, it will be soon after the immunisation. They can be adiscomfort, local inflammation or fever, nausea, feeling unwell or joint pain.
Measles - highly contagious virus spread by coughing and nasal droplets. Incubation:1-2 weeks, then fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose, itchy eyes and a red rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. 1 in 25 children with measles develops pneumonia, 1 in 2000 develops encephalitis (brain inflammation). For every 10 children who develop measles encephalitis, 1 dies and up to 4 have permanent brain damage. About 1 in 25000 develop SSPE (brain degeneration), which is always fatal. About 1 in 10 have discomfort, local inflammation or fever. About 1 in 100 develop a rash, which is not infectious. 1 in 1 million recipients may develop encephalitis (inflammation of the brain)
Mumps - contagious virus spread by saliva. Incubation: 2-3 weeks, then fever and painful swollen salivary glands. 1 in 200 children develops encephalitis (brain inflammation). 1 in 5 males past puberty develops inflammation of the testes. Occasionally, mumps causes infertility or deafness. 1 in 100 recipients may develop swelling of the salivary glands. 1 in 3 million recipients develops a mild encephalitis (inflammation of the brain)
Rubella - contagious virus spread by nasal droplets. Incubation: 2-3 weeks, then fever, headache, swollen glands behind the ears and neck, and a rash. 50% develop a rash, painful swollen glands; painful joints; 1 in 6000 develops inflammation of the brain; 90% of babies infected during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy will have a major congenital abnormality (deafness, blindness, brain damage, or heart defects) About 1 in 10 have discomfort, local inflammation, or fever. About 1 in 20 have swollen glands, stiff neck, or joint pains. About 1 in 100 have a rash, which is not infectious.
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