Immunisation
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IMMUNISATION VS VACCINATION
Immunisation is the process of inducing immunity to an infectious disease by giving a vaccine. Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine and if vaccination is successful, it results in immunity.
WHAT IS IMMUNISATION?
Immunisation protects against harmful infections before coming into contact with them in the community, it uses the body's natural defence mechanism - the immune response - to build resistance to the specific infection.
HOW DO VACCINES WORK?
Vaccines are given either by injection or orally, the body produces an immune response to the vaccine similar to the responses you would get if you had the disease, this immune response created from the vaccine protects against that disease.
WHY DO WE NEED TO VACCINATE / IMMUNISE THE COMMUNITY?
While vaccine - induced immunity may reduce with time, natural immunity, acquired by catching the disease is usually lifelong. The problem is that the wild or natural disease has high risk of serious illness and occasionally death. Children and Adults can be revaccinated (with some but not all vaccines) if their immunity from vaccine falls to a low level. It is important to remember that vaccines are many times safer than the disease they prevent.
CHILD VACCINATION CLINIC
The child vaccination clinic is for all children under five years of age. The clinic runs on the third Wednesday of every month except December when it is the second Wednesday of the month.
The clinic is held in the Thomson Room at the Civic & Cultural Centre, 96A Eagle Street, Longreach, and is open from 9am to 10.30am.
Forms:
- Child Immunisation & Record Consent Form
- Immunisation Information for Parents
SHOOL BASED VACCINATION CLINIC
The school based vaccination clinic is for children in grades 8 and 10. The clinic is held twice yearly at the Longreach State High School, Jabiru Street, Longreach.
This clinic involves any students from both the Longreach State High School and the Longreach School of Distance Education (LSODE).
FLU & PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINATION CLINIC
The Flu and Pneumococcal Vaccination Clinic is aimed at minimizing the risk of catching the flu or developing pneumonia within the elderly or at medical risk population. Anyone who falls in the following categories is eligible for the free vaccination.
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Any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders aged between 15 to 45 who are at medical risk, or
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any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders 55 years or older
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as well as anyone that is 65 years or older.
This Clinic is held in the Thomson Room at the Civic & Cultural Centre, 96A Eagle Street, Longreach, on the same dates as the Child Vaccination Clinic in the months of of March, April and May before the cooler months begin.
Forms:
- Consent form for the Flu & Pneumococcal Vaccination Clinic
WHERE DO I GET MORE INFORMATION?
All the vaccines distributed at the above clinics are as per the National Immunisation Program Schedule (NIPS), which can be found on the Australian Government Department of Health and Aging website.
Or you could also contact either the Longreach Regional Council Offices on 07 4658 4111 or the Council's Registered Nurse Liz Emmott on 07 4658 2175.
FREE VACCINES SUPPLIED BY QLD HEALTH
The following are free vaccines that Queensland Health are supplying to the general public that are not vaccines that are included in the current National Immunisation Schedule (NIPS).
HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV) - cervical cancer vaccine
There is great news for young women and girls in Australia - a new vaccine that can protect them against the cause of most cervical cancers. The vaccine protects women against certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), which are known to cause 7 out of 10 cases of cervical cancer and 9 out of 10 cases of genital warts.
The cervical cancer vaccine will be given to both school girls and any females under the age of 27, free of charge. Starting in April 2007, school aged girls can receive the HPV vaccine thought their School Based Vaccination Program or from your local GP.
From July 2007 to June 2009, females under the age of 27 can get the HPV vaccine free from your local GP or from Longreach Regional Council's Monthly Immunisation Clinic which is held every 3rd Wednesday of the month, in the Thomson Room at the Civic & Cultural Centre, 96A Eagle Street, Longreach, and is open from around 8.30am to 10.30am.
