Health & Wellbeing

Health Centre News

Flu Vaccination program and Covid 19 Booster Vaccination

The free flu vaccinations will be provided between 1 June and 30 June 2022 to boost vaccination coverage, to help keep Victorians well over winter. 

With case numbers rising quickly, families are encouraged to get vaccinated against the flu to help stay well and avoid hospitalisation during the colder months.   

More than 3,000 GP clinics and pharmacies across the state have been invited to offer the free flu vaccinations. Along with getting a flu vaccination, keeping up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations will also help your family to stay well this winter. Most people can have their flu vaccination and COVID-19 vaccination at the same time. 

Contact your GP or community pharmacy to ask about receiving a free flu vaccination. 

Accessible options and supports are available for children who may have mild anxiety about vaccination or minor behavioural issues, as well as children with disability or other specific access needs. For more information, refer to coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccination-information-people-disability. Disability liaison officers (DLOs) help people with disability access these services. To contact a DLO for support, email: dlocoordinator@dhhs.vic.gov.au

Anyone in your household with cold and flu symptoms should get tested for COVID-19 and remain at home until their symptoms have resolved. To protect others, you and your family should stay at home when unwell, even if you do not have COVID-19. 

If you are experiencing mild cold and flu symptoms or respiratory issues and need to see a doctor you should see a GP – not a hospital. If your usual GP can’t see you face-to-face, appointments are available at general practice respiratory clinics (GPRCs), which operate at many locations across Victoria. They are free for people of all ages – with or without a Medicare card. Most clinics are available during the day as well as after-hours and on weekends, saving hospital capacity for emergencies and serious illness.

For more information including booking links, opening hours and a map of all GPRCs across Victoria, refer to 

vtphna.org.au/our-work/best-practice-prevention-management-and-support/gp-respiratory-clinics/

Manningham Council

Help call for a Headspace in Manningham!

Is mental health important to you? Our friends at Manningham Council are advocating for a local headspace youth mental health service and need your help! Travelling to the nearest headspace can take up to 80 minutes via public transport and wait times for help through existing headspace centres can be up to six months. Manningham Council wants to know your thoughts on accessing youth mental health services and why you want a local headspace.

Click here to take their five-minute survey to go in the draw to win one of three $50 Westfield Doncaster gift vouchers.

Click here to discover more ways you can help call for a local headspace.

Happy Families 

re-subscription

A reminder that everyone at Doncaster Secondary College has access to our school's Happy Families Premium Membership. If you subscribed last year, remember that you need to re-subscribe to their new platform. The link to re-subscribing or signing up as a new member is here:

Dr Justin Coulson is the co-host and parenting expert on Channel 9's "Parental Guidance", and is the founder of Happy Families.