Archive for the ‘Vaccines’ Category
Rabies Vaccine – How many doses?
September 6th, 202316 Jan 2024 PRE exposure Rabies vaccination Australian Immunisation Handbook, CDC ( USA Centre for Disease Control) and WHO (World Health Organisation), all recommend two pre-exposure rabies vaccinations given at least a week apart. The vaccine can be given intradermally (ID) or intramuscularly (IM). IM is given at a slightly higher volume and deeper into […]
Cost Rabies Vaccine
August 1st, 2023My reception staff often get asked How much does rabies vaccine cost? Will I need to have rabies vaccine etc. The short answer is that it is complicated and thats why you need to see the doctor to plan if you need it and how best to have it. It’s not like having a tetanus […]
Shingles prevention
October 19th, 2021Shingles is a miserable disease, causing a rash, pain and fatigue. It can lead to chronic nerve pain and even loss of vision. Shingles affects up to 30% of the general population and about half of persons who reach age 85. A vaccine is now available in Australia to prevent this disease from 50 years […]
Second COVID vaccine? Can I have a Pfizer instead of Astra?
August 22nd, 2021“If have my first COVID vaccine as ASTRA vaccine, can I have the second one as Pfizer?” This is a common question. There is in fact good data that an ASTRA then a PFIZER work better than 2 Astra, and this combination is done overseas eg France, but sadly banned in Australia – probably due […]
Having vaccines before you start immunosuppressive drugs
October 12th, 2020Might you have to take drugs to modify your immune system? Might you like to go travelling to Africa later in your life? You might need to have vaccines NOW before you start – those vaccines will last for life There are some drugs that may change the way the immune system works. Sometimes the […]
Whooping cough vaccination of baby’s visitors
June 21st, 2020Whooping cough (a.k.a. pertussis) is a dangerous disease that can kill newborn babies – even in civilised countries like Australia. In the womb, mothers give babies antibodies to many diseases e.g. measles – but not to whooping cough. Furthermore, whooping cough vaccination cannot be given to babies until 6-8 weeks of age. The vaccine just does not work very well […]
TB vaccine and Diabetes
October 14th, 2018The Tuberculosis (TB) BCG vaccine is normally given to children under 5 years of age, and is often given at birth in the developing world, especially where TB is common. In Australia, we usually only give this vaccine to small children who will be visiting countries where TB is common. TB vaccine and Diabetes Recent research […]
Travel Vaccines for Bali – What vaccines do I need for Bali?
May 21st, 2018What Vaccines do I need for Bali? What Vaccines do I need for Bali? At the very least you need your usual childhood vaccines plus protection from Hepatitis A. Depending on what you are doing, you may also need vaccines against Typhoid, maybe Cholera or ETEC, sometimes vaccines against Influenza or Japanese encephalitis, and […]
Waning Influenza Vaccine effectiveness
April 2nd, 2018Will the influenza vaccine protection really run out before the end of the season? Short answer – we don’t really know. The optimal TIMING for influenza vaccination is not clear. However, there is clear evidence that the influenza vaccine stops people getting seriously sick and even dying from influenza. This is especially true for persons […]
Japanese Encephalitis – rare does not mean never.
June 21st, 2017A tragic case of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) was reported in a 60-year-old Victorian man who merely visited Phuket, Thailand on a holiday and ran into the ‘ wrong mosquito’. The mosquito likes rural areas mostly, but not always. The mossie feeds at dusk, mostly. The virus circulates in pigs and wading birds so it cannot ever […]
