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…
Are you aware of Lynch Syndrome? – Worldwide Lynch Syndrome Awareness Day
Today is Lynch Syndrome Awareness Day. For those who haven’t heard of the condition, Lynch syndrome, previously known as HNPCC, is an inherited genetic mutation. It gives people an increased chance of developing certain cancers across their lifetime, often at a younger age than the general population, i.e., before 50 years of age. The most…
Women encouraged to check their heart health
The classical image of a heart attack is that of a man battling to breathe, crippled in pain. However new research published in British Medical Journal, Heart, on March 1, 2017, reveals Australian women are less likely to be screened for heart disease than men. The new research, entitled, Gender inequalities in cardiovascular risk factor…