WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE FLU JAB

COVID-19 AND THE FLU SHOT

If you suspect you have coronavirus, please call before arriving at your selected surgery to make your appointment and explain in detail why you think you may have the virus.

Please call your nearest Medicross Clinic to book an appointment for your flu shot during standard business hours. Please be patient if we have not received our supply yet, supplies are slower than usual given the current demand.

A MESSAGE FOR MEDICROSS MEDICAL PATIENTS

WORRIED ABOUT CORONAVIRUS?

YOUR SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY

We have put extra safety measures in place at our clinics to keep you protected while you visit us in person. Please ask us for more information upon booking in for your vaccination.

TELEHEALTH BOOKINGS ARE AVAILABLE AT MEDICROSS MEDICAL

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE AN UPDATED FLU JAB?

• Yes you do need to get the latest flu shot. The strains of flu virus can change from one year to the next. The vaccine may also change to protect against the most recent flu virus strains. Even if the flu strains do not change, a yearly vaccine for influenza is still recommended, as immunity from flu vaccination is not long lasting.

• Flu is highly contagious, so you could pass it on to someone at risk. The Flu can potentially be a life-threatening illness for the young, frail and the aged.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COVID-19 AND THE FLU?

The coronavirus (COVID-19) and the flu are two very different viruses, but they have similar symptoms and both can be deadly. While you can fight against the flu with a Influenza vaccination, there is no current vaccine for the Coronavirus.

So the best way to fight the Coronavirus is to avoid getting it in the first place, and to minimise the risk of spreading it and we can do this by practicing good hygiene:

• wash your hands regularly,
• cough into your elbow,
• stay home away from others if you are unwell.

WHAT ARE COMMON FLU SYMPTOMS?

Symptoms may occur 1 to 3 days after infection, and generally seem like the ‘common cold’. Typical flu symptoms could include:

• tiredness;
• fever;
• chills;
• headache;
• cough;
• sneezing and runny nose;
• poor appetite; and
• muscle aches.

If you or your loved ones experience any of these symptoms this flu season, please see your doctor. Further health problems can develop in some people after flu infection including pneumonia, heart, blood system and liver complications, which can lead to death, especially in children and older people.