Real talk with Bridget Totterman
Your shot at
helping to
avoid the flu
Most of us have experienced the dreaded flu
before - symptoms including fever, cough,
fatigue, muscle and body aches can knock even
the healthiest of people around, and in severe
cases may require hospitalisation. The flu is very
contagious – spreading quickly from person to
person. I've seen first-hand how severe it can be
at this time of year, particularly to those who are
vulnerable or at higher risk of complications.
One of the most common questions we
are asked as pharmacists is why get a flu
vaccination, if you can still catch the flu?
TO HELP STAY
HEALTHY
THIS WINTER
Here's why you should consider it:
• flu vaccination prevents illness in up to 6
out of 10 healthy adults under 65*
• There is no live virus in the flu vaccination, so
you cannot get the flu from being vaccinated*
• As the virus is constantly changing, a yearly
vaccination helps protect against the most
recent and common circulating strains^
• A person's immune protection from the
influenza vaccination declines over time,
so annual vaccinations are recommended*
1.
Maintain hand hygiene, using hand sanitisers when soap and water are
unavailable
2.
Get vaccinated - the flu is highly contagious and the strain evolves
constantly, so a vaccination is your best shot at helping to avoid the flu this
season
3 Avoid toudching your face, as viruses spread easily from hands to nose,
mouth and eyes
Getting vaccinated is believed to reduce the
severity of flu symptoms if you do catch it*
4. Disinfect common surfaces (e.g. doorknobs and handles) regularly
Help strengthen your immune system by eating healthily, exercising
regularly, and getting enough sleep
Not many of us have the time to get sick, but
we do have the opportunity to help protect
5.
ourselves, our families and loved ones wit
a flu
vaccination.
VIRUSES ARE
BETWEEN
Book a flu vaccination today at your
local TerryWhite Chemmart or online at
terrywhitechemmart.com.au/flu
20-100
TIMES
Bridget Totterman
Pharmacist
SMALLER THAN BACTERIA,
AND ONLY VISIBLE
THROUGH A MICROSCOPE
TerryWhite Chemmart
Toowong, QLD
Source:
*www.healthdirect.gov.au/flu-vaccine-faqs
^www.tga.gov.au/aivc-recommendation-composition-influenza-
vaccine-australia-2021
" Friedlander, Mark P, Jr. Outbreak: Disease Detectives at Work.
Minneapolis, MN: Twenty-First Century Books, 2009.
*www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/seasonal-flu-
vaccination-faqs.aspx#bookmark2