Influenza (Flu) Vaccinations & Care

Expert advice and immunisation services to protect you and your loved ones from severe seasonal illness.

Influenza (commonly known as the flu) is a highly contagious illness of the respiratory tract caused by influenza viruses. It is spread easily through contact with respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Unlike a mild cold, the flu is a serious disease that can cause severe illness and life-threatening complications, particularly in vulnerable members of our community.

Signs, Symptoms & Complications

Symptoms usually start about 1 to 3 days after catching the virus and can last for a week or more. While some people are only mildly affected, others can become seriously ill.

How to Relieve Flu Symptoms

In most cases, you can treat the symptoms of a mild flu yourself at home. Most people will recover naturally within 7 to 10 days without specific medical treatment. To help relieve your symptoms, we recommend:

• Rest & Hydration: Getting plenty of rest and drinking lots of water and other non-alcoholic fluids to prevent dehydration.
• Nutrition & Warmth: Keeping warm and eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables.
• Clear Congestion: Inhaling steam from a hot bath or shower in a closed room to help relieve a blocked nose (always directly supervise children near hot water).
• Clean Air: Avoiding exposure to cigarette smoke.

There are also several over-the-counter medicines available in our pharmacy to safely ease cold and flu symptoms, such as pain and fever. Speak to our staff for a recommendation tailored to you.

How Does the Flu Vaccine Help?

Vaccination is a safe and effective way to protect yourself from the serious disease caused by influenza. By getting vaccinated, you also help protect other people around you—especially those who are too sick or too young to be vaccinated themselves. The more people who are vaccinated in our community, the less likely the disease will spread.

Annual immunisation is highly recommended. Because the influenza virus is constantly mutating and changing, the vaccine formulation is updated every year to match the circulating strains.

As well as vaccination, it is important to continue practicing good hand hygiene, covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, and staying home when you are unwell.