Mount Gravatt children between the ages of six weeks and ten years old now have access to free vaccinations from the childhood immunisation clinic at the Upper Mount Gravatt Progress Hall. A project by the Brisbane City Council, vaccinations are scheduled weekly until the end of June. This comes as a welcome development to parents in the area, as the latest Queensland health data from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System shows a significant increase for 2016, in cases of pertussis (whooping cough) and varicella zoster (chicken pox, shingles and unspecified cases), annually from the year 2014.
Paul Bartley, AMA Queensland’s spokesman for infectious diseases, reminds parents about the importance of immunisations, given the rise in these infectious, and potentially fatal, diseases. He said, “The increase is certainly still under review, but it is a timely reminder for parents to ensure their children are appropriately vaccinated for their age.” Bartley also calls on pregnant women to make sure that they have their booster vaccinations.
The Brisbane City Council’s local immunisation clinic is located on 1873 Logan Road in Upper Mount Gravatt. Bookings are not required to organise immunization services; however, parents should have the Medicare number, along with their child’s immunisation records and the required consent forms. The weekly schedule and blank forms can be downloaded below.
Photo credit: CCO Public Domain/Amanda Mills/Pixnio
