We have reached that time of the year when the weather is starting to turn. It’s a timely reminder that summer is losing the battle and winter is just around the corner.
Guess what that means, people — flu vaccination time!
“Yah,” I hear you all scream loudly to your computers.
If you have ever caught the flu, you know how rough and depressing it can be. You sit wrapped up on the couch in 10 blankets feeling blocked up, cold, tired, hot, sweaty, hungry, nauseous, basically rather ill and sometimes all at once.
To avoid feeling like this in winter, it is time to get on down to your local GP or nurse practitioner and get your annual flu vaccination.
The flu vaccination is recommended for anyone living with a chronic disease or condition. People living with HIV, severe asthma, heart disease, diabetes or chronic neurological conditions should all be vaccinated against the flu.
It is also highly recommended for anyone who works with people who are living with a chronic disease, along with pregnant women, travellers, smokers and people from Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander backgrounds.
Having a flu shot may cause some mild discomfort, however, this is fairly uncommon. Some of the side effects may include soreness around the site of injection, a low-grade temperature, muscle aches and mild tiredness in the 24 – 48 hours following the vaccination.
This can occur because the vaccine provides you with a small dose of the flu, just enough so your body can build up the required immunity to it. Then, if you were to come across someone with the influenza, your body can fight off any potential infection from it.
The flu vaccine is free to people living with HIV and other conditions. Free vaccinations are usually stocked and administered by the doctor or practice nurse, depending on where you go to receive it.
The cost for everyone else is no more than $15 – $20. Let’s face it — you would spend more money on cold and flu tablets, chicken soup and cough syrup if you did catch the flu, so it’s basically a no-brainer!
To arrange a vaccination and avoid the devastating effects of catching the flu this season, contact your local GP practice and tell them you want to have your flu shot.
Don’t forget to tell your family, loved ones, friends and even those people on Facebook who you don’t really speak to that flu season has arrived and they too need to get their flu shot.
By ADAM HYNES
