Community Health March 2014
Welcome
Welcome to the first edition of Community Health for 2014. Hope you all had a lovely
Christmas and New Year!
Our immunisation service
The Immunisation team at Maroondah City Council is involved in a variety of services for the
community including:
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public immunisation sessions
a secondary school immunisation program
4-year-old immunisation dress up parties
opportunistic immunisation
corporate immunisation
Last year, the team immunised over 3800 people in the community through their public
immunisation sessions. The secondary school immunisation program immunised over 5000
Year 7, 9 and 10 students – with the majority of these vaccines provided free under the
National Immunisation Program.
The team also updates immunisation records; documents vaccines that have been
administered overseas; determines catch up immunisations; and provide general
immunisation advice.
Council’s Immunisation Service has full accreditation in compliance with AS/NZS ISO
9001:2008 Quality Standards, so Maroondah families can be confident of receiving a safe,
effective service.
For more information regarding Maroondah City Council’s immunisation service, dates and
locations visit Councils website www.maroondah.vic.gov.au or contact the Immunisation
Team on 9294 5627.
Flu season is fast approaching – be prepared
Influenza (the flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus. In
Australia, there are, on average, dozens of deaths and thousands of hospitalisations
recorded as being due to influenza illness each year.
The best way to avoid getting the flu is to have an annual flu vaccination.
People most at risk of complications from influenza include the elderly, those with preexisting medical conditions (such as chronic heart or lung diseases) and pregnant women.
However, even healthy people can get severe influenza.
Vaccinations
The flu vaccine is provided free under the National Immunisation Program for the following
groups:
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people over 65 years of age
pregnant women
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders over 15 years of age
anyone aged six months and over, who have a medical condition that may cause
them to get a severe case of influenza.
Adults and children over six months can be vaccinated against influenza, but should be
vaccinated yearly as the virus changes regularly and vaccines are modified.
Council provides the influenza vaccine, at a cost of $20 per dose and administers it at
various public immunisation sessions (available on Council’s website).
The Immunisation Team can also attend your workplace to offer flu vaccine for staff. If you
would like to discuss the corporate immunisation program please contact the team on 9294
5627.
Lunchbox food safety warning
‘Choose, Clean and Chill’ are three key actions vital for healthy, food safe lunchboxes
according to the Food Safety Information Council.
Packed lunches are great for healthy eating but we need to be extra careful when packing
and transporting food to work or school to ensure we don’t become one of the estimated 5.4
million cases of food poisoning in Australia each year.
Top tips for a safe lunch box:
Choose
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Choose low risk foods such as hard cheeses, freshly cooked meats and poultry,
fresh, well-washed fruits and vegetables, canned tuna or salmon, shelf stable snacks
and sandwich spreads.
Choose lunchboxes that are easy to clean and dry. Insulated lunchboxes are a great
idea, but not if they are difficult to keep clean.
Clean
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When preparing food, always thoroughly wash your hands.
Wash and dry lunchboxes and drink bottles daily. If cracked replace as bugs love
hidey holes.
Ensure cutting boards, benches and utensils are clean and dry.
Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
Chill
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When preparing lunches ahead of time, make sure they are kept in the fridge or
freezer.
When leaving home, pack a frozen juice box, water bottle or commercial ice pack
with the lunch. Place perishable foods such as cheeses and sandwiches between the
frozen items.
Divide cooked leftovers into small lunch-sized portions so they refrigerate or freeze
quickly.
General advice
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If in doubt throw it out!
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Warn children against sharing drink bottles and lunches. Sharing lunches is not a
good idea as it is difficult to know what allergies other children may have, or whether
the foods have been prepared using the basic food safety tips.
If you or your child has food poisoning don’t go to work or school, and avoid handling
food for others for 48 hours after symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea stop. If
food poisoning symptoms persist, visit a doctor.
For more information on lunchbox safety visit http://www.foodsafety.asn.au/resources/workand-school-lunch-safety/
For healthy lunchbox ideas visit the Dietitians Association of Australia website
http://www.daa.asn.au/
Sourced from Food Safety Information Council
Disease profile: Meningococcal
There are a number of different meningococci bacteria, however the most common types in
Australia are Serogroup B and Serogroup C.
Meningococcal disease usually occurs in one of two forms: Meningitis - an inflammation of
the protective coverings of the brain and spinal cord; and Septicaemia - a blood poisoning
that is a more widespread infection throughout the body.
The infection can develop quickly and can cause serious illness or death. Early diagnosis
and treatment with antibiotics are vital.
Although meningococcal disease may occur at any age, babies and children under the age
of 5 are at greater risk. Teenagers and young adults aged 15–24 years are also at increased
risk, along with those with a damaged spleen, or have had their spleen removed.
Symptoms
The symptoms of meningococcal disease can take up to seven days to present and may
include:
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fever
headache
Photophobia (dislike of bright lights)
loss of appetite
aching, joint and back pains and sore muscles
vomiting and/or diarrhoea
extreme tiredness or floppiness (in children)
Convulsions or twitching (in children)
rash of red/purple pinprick spots, or larger bruises
Immunisation
Meningococcal C vaccine is funded for babies at 12 months of age and it provides good
protection against Serogroup C. A combined vaccine against Serogroups A, C, Y and W is
useful for travellers. A vaccine for Serogroup B has recently been made available in
Australia, however must be purchased privately through your GP.
For further information regarding immunisations please call 9294 5627 or visit
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au