As the cold weather closes in, now is the time to book in for an annual influenza immunisation.

Councillor Alex Makin said Maroondah City Council has a highly dedicated immunisation team committed to quality service in the delivery of immunisations to the local community and businesses.

“Council offers free immunisation sessions at various locations in Maroondah each month. The influenza vaccine is available free of charge to people over the age of 65, pregnant woman, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged over 15 years, and anyone over the age of six months with a medical condition that increases the risk of influenza complications,” Cr Makin said.

“For those who aren’t eligible for a free flu vaccination, Council provides the service for $20 per dose,” Cr Makin said.

“Council also offers a Corporate Immunisation Service which means the Immunisation Team will visit businesses and immunise staff, with the most common being the flu vaccine,” Cr Makin said.

“Research has shown that healthy working adults who have been vaccinated against flu have half the number of doctor’s visits and nearly half the number of sick days,” Cr Makin said.

“So offering staff the opportunity to immunise against the flu could not only prevent the spread of the flu in your workplace, but it will also help to keep your workforce productive and healthy,” Cr Makin said.

If you are interested in protecting your staff please contact the Immunisation Team on 9294 5627 to discuss a program that will best suit your needs.

“The vaccine is most effective when received towards the start of Autumn, with the vaccine taking about two weeks to develop and provide protection,” Cr Makin said.

“Council is committed to providing an exceptional immunisation service that is readily available to everybody, with the immunisation program a vital part of Council’s community health strategy,” Cr Makin said.

“And with the knowledge that Council’s Immunisation Service has full accreditation in compliance with AS/NZS ISO 9001:2008 Quality Standards, Maroondah families can be even more confident of receiving a safe, effective immunisation service,” Cr Makin said.

Council also provides a secondary school immunisation program and a pre-school immunisation program for four-year-olds, plus free immunisation information and advice.

Dates and times for the April to June period can be obtained from Council’s Service Centres, Maternal & Child Health Centres, or www.maroondah.vic.gov.au

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