The Swine flu Vaccine (Panvax), manufactured by CSL will be in GP Surgeries from the 30th of September. The vaccine, which is provided for free by the Government, will be available to anyone who would like to receive the vaccination (contrary to what we reported last week the vaccine will be available to anyone over the age of 10 years).
Flu Healthcare providers will be able to provide this vaccine to Corporate companies on request depending on State government health policies.
According to the Department of Health and Ageing; “Both H1N1 influenza 09 and normal seasonal influenza can produce symptoms of fever, chills, cough, sore throat, tiredness and muscle aches and sometimes vomiting and diarrhoea. Severe cases of influenza can result in breathing difficulty and pneumonia. Symptoms generally appear between two to four days after exposure. If you develop these symptoms you should stay home until your symptoms are gone”.
The Panvax vaccine has been shown to be effective in those aged > 10 years and a single dose of 0.5mls is required. The vaccine will come in multi-dose vials and therefore many GP surgeries will more than likely have “Flu vaccine clinics” to streamline the administration of Panvax. Hence you should check with your Healthcare provider (GP) what their protocol would be for the administration of this vaccine.
The side effects of the vaccine are similar to those of the annual influenza vaccine, with 46% of recipients having mild redness and swelling at the injection site, and or mild to moderate symptoms including headache, malaise and myalgia.
The vaccine is contra-indicated in those persons who have:
• A severe allergy to eggs
• Anaphylaxis following any vaccine component
• Anaphylaxis following a previous dose of any influenza vaccine
The Product Information for this vaccine can be found at http://www.emergency.health.nsw.gov.au/swineflu/resources/pdf/h1n1_vaccine_product_information.pdf
If you are a Corporate company and are interested in providing this vaccine to your employees please contact us on flu@ipnet.com.au or call IPN Flu on 1300 299 098.