9877 1200
81 Canterbury Rd (Corner Sheehans Rd) Blackburn South 3130
Important information about COVID vaccine - please read carefully
COVID vaccination at Sheehans Medical Centre has commenced.
Booking is now live.
Due to the likelihood of highly congested phone lines, please use online booking where possible.
Prior to making a booking, please ensure you read the entire information listed on this page.
Please bookmark / visit this page regularly for the latest update, as government advice frequently changes.
The newest directive (8/4/2021) from the Australian health authority is that the current COVID vaccine (COVID19 vaccine AstraZeneca) should only be administered to people age 50 years or over. If you are under 50 years of age, you should not be vaccinated unless specifically instructed by your doctor.
About COVID19 vaccine AstraZeneca
The COVID vaccine is free and the vaccination service will be bulk-billed for all eligible patients with a medicare card. (Please note: if you are eligible but do not have a medicare card you cannot be vaccinated at this clinic. You'll need to attend a Respiratory Clinic or state vaccination clinic to get vaccinated)
The vaccine is given as 2 doses, 12 weeks apart. The vaccine cannot be given within 14 days of another vaccine (including the flu vaccine)
The vaccine is effective. It reduces the risk of catching COVID by up to 82% (The Lancet 2021). Current evidence suggests it's up to 100% effective in preventing severe COVID related hospitalization and death after 2 doses.
In terms of safety, mild side effects including fatigue, headache, nausea, chills, muscle and joint aches are very common and should start to improve within the course of 1 to 2 days after vaccination. Severe side effects such as anaphylaxis are extremely rare, occurring at a rate of 1 patient per 100,000.
There has been much controversy about a rare clotting disorder called Thromobosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) and whether COVID19 vaccine AstraZeneca may cause it. TTE is a severe illness which occurs rarely after vaccination (2 to 10 cases per million doses). The problem appears to occur more commonly in the younger age group. After examining available evidence, the Australian health authority has advised that vaccination should continue for people aged 50 years and above, as the potential benefits of vaccination in this age group far outweigh potential harm. People under 50 years old, as well as those patients with a history of CVST (Central venous sinus thrombosis) or HIT (herparin induced thrombocytopenia) should not have the current vaccine (COVID19 vaccine AstraZeneca) and should instead wait for alternative vaccines. For further information please refer to the TGA statement, and this article. If you have any concerns or feel uncertain about having the vaccine please ensure to discuss this with your regular GP or one of the GPs here, prior to consenting and booking for vaccination.
Eligibility criteria
Important: Please do not book for vaccination if you are under 50 years of age.
In the current phase 1b rollout, to be eligible you need to be aged 70 years or older, or between the age of 50-69 if you have a chronic illness. Other eligible groups include:
* health care workers
* Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults over 55 years
* critical and high risk workers, including Australian Government officials about to be deployed overseas on official government business.
If you are unsure whether you are eligible please use the COVID19 vaccine eligibility checker, or ask your doctor.
If you are a new patient to our clinic, please ask your regular doctor to issue you a letter to confirm that you are eligible and medically suitable to be given the COVID vaccine. In addition, please ask your doctor to issue a health summary detailing your medical conditions, medications and allergies, and bring these documents with you to the vaccination appointment.
Where applicable, on the vaccination date please bring along your proof of occupational eligibility, or if this is not available, a completed official eligibility declaration form.
Before booking a vaccination appointment you'll need to have completed and submitted a prevaccination questionaire and consent form
This can be performed online here
Alternatively you can obtain a physical paper copy at our clinic, or download a copy here, to be printed and completed manually and return to our office.
We strongly advise that, in the process of consenting for vaccination, you should make an appointment to discuss with your regular doctor about any concerns that you may have, before finally signing the consent form.
Please note: A COMPLETED CONSENT FORM is an absolute prerequisite requirement before you can book a vaccination appointment
Your vaccination appointment will be deemed invalid / cancelled if we don't have a completed consent form.
Additional requirements for new patients to the clinic requiring COVID vaccination
Vaccination appointments
Please remember that, as a prerequisite to booking an appointment, you will need to have completed and submitted a consent form online or on paper. Please seek medical advice from your regular GP if you have any concerns or queries.
After submitting your consent form you may make a vaccination appointment.
Due to the likelihood of highly congested phone lines, please use online booking for vaccination where possible.
On the day of vaccination
Do not attend if you have a fever, or are unwell with an acute illness. Please inform us to cancel your booking as soon as you become aware.
Please arrive on time. Allocated time is for COVID vaccination only. There will be no time to address other medical concerns. Separate appointments has to be arranged for these.
After vaccination you will be kept at the clinic for observation for 15 minutes (30 minute if you have a history of severe allergy / anaphylaxis). Some information on what to do and expect after vaccination may be found here.
If you develop severe persistent headache with an onset after the initial 2 days after vaccination, which does not respond to paracetamol, please seek urgent medical advice. Other symptoms which should prompt urgent medical review include new onset confusion and abdominal pain. If you have unsure about your symptoms please contact us or use the COVID-19 vaccine side effects symptom checker.
Paracetamol may be effective for managing mild side effects of the vaccine. Please seek medical advice if you develop more severe or persistent side effects.
GPs in this medical Centre serve Blackburn, Box Hill, Surrey Hills, Forest Hill, Nunawading, Vermont, and Burwood
| Coronavirus Alert
If you have any cold and flu symptoms (such as runny nose, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath, a loss of smell or taste, or fever), you should undertake a diagnostic swab at a COVID-19 testing centres. Many of these are 7 days a week drive through centres, and do not require referral. The locations of these centres may be found at https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/gp-respiratory-clinics-and-hospital-respiratory-clinics-covid-19.
Even if you don't have infective symptoms, in order to reduce risks of transmission, we request that all patients should wait in the car park where possible. When you arrive at the car park, please call 98771200 to check into our system. Then please wait in your car until we call you.
Please note that it's our policy that everyone (including children, but excluding infants) must wear face masks inside the clinic. You will not be allowed entry if you do not have a face mask on.
When you arrive inside the clinic, please check your temperature at the temperature self check counter and sanitize your hands.
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If you have an infection, please book a telehealth appointment.
Please note: To qualify for medicare rebates, you will need to have seen a doctor here face to face within the last 12 months.
If you have seen a doctor here face to face in the last 12 months, and qualify for concession (ie. if you have a pension / HCC / DVA gold card, or for children under 16 y.o.), you will continue to be bulkbilled for in hours consultations.
Private fees applies to all non-concessional telehealth consults.
For more details on fees please refer to https://www.sheehansmc.com.au/fees.html
All fees must be paid at the time of consultation.
Telehealth consultation can be conducted via telephone or video.
For video consult, you will need a smart phone or tablet or laptop with internet connection. You will also need an internet browser (Chrome or Safari). Please have this set up prior to commencement of the consult.
Please note: There are many medical problems which cannot be fully addressed via telehealth. In these cases, the doctor will do as much as possible via telehealth, and then ask you to come to the clinic, either on the same day, or on a separate day, to complete the assessment and management of your issues.
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To arrange a doctor's appointment, you can now book online, 24/7, at a time convenient to you, without the phone queues.
As a general practice, we have been serving the Blackburn, Blackburn South community for many many years. Through local knowledge, genuine interest and engagement with our patients, we have earned much praise and good word of mouth over the years, as a medical centre of excellence in this area.
The doctors and allied health professionals @ Sheehans Medical Centre offer the full spectrum of health services to our patients. We are totally committed to serving your needs.
Every doctor @ Sheehans Medical Centre is highly qualified and well trained. We are local graduates; suitably experienced general practitioners from Australia and New Zealand. We are all vocationally registered GPs; fellows of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP). A trademark of quality for doctors. We regularly undertake continual medical education and quality assurance programmes, to ensure we deliver only the most up-to-date and best quality service to you.
Our medical centre is accreditated by AGPAL, to the absolute highest standard.
We are completely independent from external corporate influences, and has no financial interest in any third party pharmaceutical companies. All treatment decisions are governed purely by your best interest and needs.
All doctors and supporting staff have served in the Blackburn area, and the wider eastern suburbs, for a very long time, and have accumulated a great deal of knowledge about the local community and the available health services around you.
Finally, and most importantly, every doctor and allied health staff at Sheehans Medical Centre is committed to do our very best to help you, at all times. We listen to you with attention and interest. We contemplate and investigate your issues with rigour and determination. We want to solve your problems. We take our responsibilities very seriously. Your wellness, and your health is very important to us.
So we look forward to serving you and keeping you in good health.
To arrange a doctor's appointment, you can now book online, 24/7, at a time convenient to you, without the phone queues.
Remember, if you have changed address or phone number, please let us know your new details ASAP.
Prevention is always better than cure. Please find some useful information to help you stay healthy here.