Coronavirus Alert

On 31/1/2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency.   As of 19/2/2020, there are 75000 confirmed cases and over 2000 deaths globally, and the numbers are still growing exponentially.  

The symptoms of coronavirus may include fever, sore throat, cough, and shortness of breath.  

The virus has a long incubation of 14 days, meaning that infected individuals may not even realize they have become infected until 2 weeks after catching the infection.  During the incubation period, the asymptomatic individual may unknowingly spread the virus, to those people around him / her, and to the general public.

Until vaccines and treatments become available, isolation and containment remain our only effective defence.

From 1/2/2020, the Australian government has announced that any travelers returning from China must quarantine at home for 14 days. 

Other high risk countries identified by the government include Italy, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia (including Bali). 

Wearing face mask and avoiding contact with the public is highly advisable if you are at an elevated risk of carrying the virus.  Other effective measures to prevent spread include frequent hand-washing and use of hand sanitiser. 

If you have suspicious symptoms including fever, cough and shortness of breath, and have travelled recently to any of the above countries, or had contact with coronavirus within the last 2-3 weeks, quarantine and intensive hygienic measures become even more important. In addition, please call the dedicated DHHS hotline on 1800 675 398. 

In most cases, where symptoms are mild, the infection gets better naturally without need for medical intervention.  More serious cases, involving symptoms such as shortness of breath, may require hospitalization. 

If you feel severely unwell or short of breath, please call 000 and ask for the ambulance.

If you contact our practice, please ensure you inform reception of suspected coronavirus, so we can put in place measures to minimize the risk of spreading this virus to other vulnerable patients.

Quarantine and containment are extremely important measures to keep our community safe.  We trust you would understand this.  Thank you very much for your care and cooperation.

Please note: we do not provide clearance certificates for early return to work, schools and childcare.

For the latest official update on coronavirus please refer to the DHHS website or this information sheet.

There is a significant increase in diagnosed measles cases within Australia and New Zealand, as well as worldwide. 

Measles is a highly contagous disease and may result in severe health complications including meningitis and death.

Measles is a preventable disease. 

A Victorian Government funded measles-containing vaccine program is available for all adults born during or since 1966 and aged from 20 years without evidence of two documented  doses of valid MMR vaccine or without serological evidence of immunity. 

It is noted that some adults may be not immune or only partially immune to measles, mumps and rubella because they were not captured in the Australian Measles Control Campaign in the late 1990s and the subsequent Young Adults MMR program in 2001.

If you need to be vaccinated for measles, or are uncertain that you do, please make an appointment to discuss here

Shingles (also called herpes zoster) is the disease caused when the chickenpox virus reactivates. Shingles can cause severe pain that can last for months.

Vaccination is a safe and effective way to protect you from serious disease caused by shingles.

Currently, adults aged 70 years to 79 years can have the shingles for free under the National Immunisation Program (NIP)

If you are between the age of 70 and 79, and hasn't had the free shingles vaccine, please make an appointment to get vaccinated here.