I rang our GP this morning regarding when the flu shots would be available.
The receptionist said that they were still waiting on advice from the Government and to call back at the end of each week to see if they had an update.
My GP said come back in April. I saw some similar advice in the news that suggested it is up to CSL and their schedule to produce the next updated batch of vaccine based on the variants in the final winter strains from the end of the flu season in Europe.
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My sister who lives in Melbourne called me to say they got their flu shots today.
She saw something on SBS TV yesterday which stated that Terry White Chemmart had the 2020 flu shots of the new quadrivalent vaccines available now so they rang up and went to one today as her husband is planning to visit his elderly father at his nursing home in Brisbane.
However, she was not aware of the 3 flavour vaccines for us old fogies as alluded to on the Terry White website.
https://www.terrywhitechemmart.com.au/health-services/flu-vaccinations/
So any of you āspring chickensā under 65 who are worried about the flu and are prepared to stump up with $19.95, you can probably get vaccinated now.
But all the other old fogies will most likely be better off waiting for the new free 3 flavour version.
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Quadrivalent for all this year: adjuvanted Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine (QIV) - FluadĀ® Quad available to 65 years and older.
Influenza virus strains included in the 2020southern hemisphere seasonal influenza vaccines:
- A (H1N1): an A/Brisbane/02/2018 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus;
- A (H3N2): an A/South Australia/34/2019 (H3N2)-like virus;
- B: a B/Washington/02/2019-like (B/Victoria lineage) virus;
- B: a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like (B/Yamagata lineage) virus.
from: Clinical update: 2020 seasonal influenza vaccines ā early advice for vaccination providers | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care and ATAGI advice on seasonal influenza vaccines in 2020 | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
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Getting a flu shot too early is said to be counter-productive as the protection will peak early in the flu season and wane before it is over. Mid to late April or even early May is said to be the sweet spot for inoculation.
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Our Doctor now provides boosters (just extra shots every 3-4 months) as per the Govts allowed procedures. These arenāt new vaccines just the same ones until the new ones come in. This keeps the level of protection for the covered Flu varieties at a peak of protection. Obviously if there are new varieties spreading these extra vaccinations hold little or almost no benefit for the new strains.
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Did you mean early May? Anyway, I usually get called in for my old personās shot around April some time.
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Ta, edited.
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Whilst at our GP today, he asked me if I would like to get the flu shot.
They had just received stocks of the old timers flavour.
One less thing to worry about.
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2020 advice is to get your flu shot (child, adult, senior) as soon as you can because you donāt want to be sick with both seasonal influenza and COVID-19.
And hospitals and health care workers donāt want a lot of people sick with seasonal flu this year either.
We got our 2020 adult quadrivalent flu shots on 16 March 2020 from a pharmacy (inexpensive); and anticipate that weāll probably need to get a second flu shot before the end of the 2020 flu season.
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Got my flu shot at the local pharmacy in NSW expecting it to be free (Iām in one of the National Immunisation Program - NIP - categories) but they charged me $25. I initially thought that this was a āserviceā charge but after doing a fair bit of research I discovered that in NSW, QLD, TAS, NT and SA pharmacies donāt use NIP (free) vaccines. These are only available in VIC, WA and ACT pharmacies apparently. In NSW itās only GPs that have the free NIP ones but then you have to pay for a consult (unless your GP bulk bills). Why the discrepancy? Surely in our current COVID-19 environment we want our most vulnerable encouraged to be vaccinated equally in ALL Australian States and Territories? I then shopped around a little and noticed the vast range of prices the major pharmacy chains in NSW are charging: from as little as $12 to $25 (that I paid). Again, why the discrepancies? Is this just price gouging by the pharmacies? Again, in the time of COVID-19 and financial hardship do we really want our most vulnerable to be potentially travelling to distant pharmacies and/or sit in crowded bulk-billing GP waiting rooms to get the best price to get their flu shots that the Government has strongly advised them to get ASAP?
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In Qld, our GPās practice run flu clinics and those who qualify for the free flu shot do not pay any fee for the doctor or nurse.
There has been an acute shortage of the flu shots recently. When I was at our GP some weeks ago, they had just received stocks and I received one during the consultation but my wife has only finally managed to get a place in the flu clinic next week.
So no out of pocket costs for those who qualify, just a total fiasco with the distribution of the flu shots.
I donāt know whats going to happen at our GP surgery. Last year I didnt pay, and was bulk billed, but my GP left and went to another surgery miles away and they have not been bulk billing me ever since. Iāve got an appointment Monday week (finally!!! been trying to get through for 2 weeks but the phones have been busy busy with doctors doing telehealth) and I have a telehealth appointment on Monday which will cost me, no doubt.
Our primary GP clinic does not bulk bill. The āfreeā flu shot in Vic was $20 for my partner, bulk billed for the nurse to administer but $20 for the vaccine, all at no cost for myself being old enough. All while Chemwarehouse and others charge $14.99.
A problem with the system? Ideologues think not. Many people on the street think so.
In Brisbane, our doctor bulk billed the appointment and the clinic nurse did the jab. One paid for the vaccination which from memory as around $15. The doctors sources the vaccination in preparation for its patients.
In Tassie, we are going to the local chemist for the jabs this year. As there is an age restriction, our young one is going to the local GP for the jab. It is a convoluted processes where one has to visit the doctor for an appointment, a script is issued for the vaccination, one then goes to the chemist to fill the scriptā¦take the vaccination back to the doctor and wait a few days to return when they have their flu clinicā¦for another appointment.
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I was called in for mine last week (chronic health issue freebie). It was a very strange experience!
They were doing the clinic in the back carpark (the doctors parking) with marquees set up and a whole lot of chairs 2+m apart from each other. I was lead by one of the GPs to a chair on one side, nurse asked my name, birthdate and confirmed my health condition. Doctor stuck me in the arm, then pointed me to another chair on the other side of the carpark, where I had to sit for 15 minutes and then I was out. They were using songs on a play list through a bluetooth Speaker to roughly time the 15 minutes. No cost, just out another door and back into the world!
According to my immunisation statement, I was given Fluarix Tetra. My arm was only sore the next day and I didnāt have any flu like symptoms, which was very different to the FluQuadri Iād had previously.
My husband is taking the kid to a similar clinic for primary school kids (who are being given free flu vaccines by the WA state government this year) tomorrow, and theyāve said the parents can get one for $20 even. It would probably be cheaper for him elsewhere, but the convenience factor is worth the difference.
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Locally, Priceline Chemists (I have no connection with them) are doing Flu shots for 20$.
One medical clinic is doing them for 20$ plus a 20$ service fee - another for 80$ all up - the standard consult in this town (no bulk billing).
My employer does them for free, as do others from what Iāve heard anecdotally ā¦
The vax we get is a 4 way deal - Brisbane, South Australia, Washington and Phuket origins ā¦
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Some interesting experiences depending on where we are.
BrisVegas GP charged $20 and bulk billed. Full standard consult with the GP this year delivering the jab. Consult was part mobile phone call while waiting outside the surgery before going into the usual Drs room.
Partners GP did a TeleHealth consult at home in the morning, and a surgery visit in the afternoon for the jab from one of the nursing staff. No charge, past retirement age.
My jab appointment is with the nurse, but I will be billed for the doctor, I think. They get as much $$$ out of us as they can. There arent many options around here. Its pay for this lot, or go to one of the many āchainā surgeries and I dont like those, I prefer the ones owned and staffed by locals. Iām on an age pension with multiple co-morbidities so I wont have to pay for the actual jab, but I think it likely Iāll be paying for the GP consult which will be a look in the door, and the nurse will do her thing.
