David, 62 Banking manager & married father-of-three who has experienced influenza on multiple occasions, CANBERRA
Banking manager and married father-of-three, David, 62, Canberra, enjoys bush walking, fitness, and watching sports in his spare time. Given his busy professional and personal life, David cannot afford to fall ill. Over the past decade however, David has contracted the flu on many occasions, which has led to numerous days off work due to…
Heather, 59 Volunteer & mother-of-two who was struck down by influenza for a fortnight, MELBOURNE
Community volunteer, mother-to-two adult children and “diehard Collingwood supporter” who was awarded a State medal for her bravery during the ‘Black Saturday’ bushfires of 2009, Heather, 59, Melbourne, enjoys the simple things in life, such as gardening, jigsaw puzzles and good coffee. For years, Heather had a clean bill of health, until she contracted the…
Garry, 61 Father, grandfather, horticulturalist & avid golfer in favour of in-pharmacy flu vaccination Burnie, TASMANIA
Married father-to-two and grandfather-to-five, Garry, 61, is the horticulturalist caretaker at Burnie City Park. When Garry isn’t at work, you can find him playing golf, volleyball or tennis with friends. When Garry was diagnosed with the flu in June, 2016, his professional and personal life was significantly compromised. For three weeks he felt “miserable”, plagued…
Quynh, 33 Pharmacist who contracted influenza while travelling abroad, ADELAIDE
Quynh, 33, works as a full-time pharmacist at a 24/7 community pharmacy in South Australia. She leads an active lifestyle, has a strong personal interest in health and wellness, and travels frequently. She has no time for falling ill. In 2015 however, shortly after returning from a two-week holiday to New York, Quynh developed…
Jessica, 29 Health coach & cystic fibrosis patient advocate who contracted the 2009 swine flu, BRISBANE
Health coach and policy consultant for young women living with illness, Jessica, 29, Brisbane, was a victim of the 2009 swine flu pandemic. Living with cystic fibrosis, Jessica was at higher risk of serious complications from influenza than most. In June 2009, while holidaying with her husband in Queensland, taking time-out to consider health-related lifestyle…
Sheryl, 56 Retired primary school teacher & mother-of-two struck down by influenza, CANBERRA
Recently retired primary school teacher of 35 years, and married mother-to-two, Sheryl, 56, Canberra, has always maintained relatively good health. She enjoys walking, reading and travelling. However, in March, 2016, she was struck down by influenza – a serious respiratory infection that she battled for four weeks. After attending school camp, Sheryl contracted influenza upon…
Rodney, 35 Placed into a medically-induced coma following swine flu infection, SYDNEY
Welfare and mental health counsellor, Rodney, 35, Sydney, was hospitalised with influenza in 2010, in a non-aware state, with congested lungs and less than 30 per cent oxygen in his blood. Within 48 hours, Rodney was diagnosed with the H1N1 flu virus strain – swine flu – and placed into a medically-induced coma for…
Lisa, 37 Pharmacy assistant & beautician struck down with flu on an overseas holiday, SYDNEY
Full-time pharmacy assistant and beautician, Lisa 37, Sydney, contracted the flu while on holiday in Las Vegas, USA in May, 2016. The flu rendered Lisa bedridden for seven days, mounting a recovery for the ensuing seven days, and compromised her month-long holiday, leaving her with no other option but to cancel all of her pre-booked…
Nick, 30 – Young working professional who contracted flu out of season, SYDNEY
In March 2016, busy IT professional, Nick, 30, Sydney, contracted a severe case of influenza, out of season. For four nights, Nick endured hot and cold flushes, night sweats, sleep disruption, ongoing headaches and episodes of coughing and sneezing. In fact, he was so unwell, he was forced to cancel his Mardi Gras party,…
93 per cent of Aussies recognise benefits of flu shot in pharmacy – Pharmacy Guild of Australia
Federal Health Minister supports pharmacy as flu vaccination hub with flu shots expected to climb by almost one million this year The majority (93 per cent) of Australian adults recognise the benefits of flu vaccination in pharmacy, citing access, cost and convenience as the biggest motivators for protecting against seasonal influenza.1 This is according to…