Keeping You Well
Preventative health care is an important part of what we do. We want to help you minimise your chances of developing disease, or minimise the progression of disease if you already have a diagnosed condition. Preventative health care includes simple things like immunisations for children to prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as measles and whooping cough, or having an annual flu vaccination, or, for women, regular cervical screening. It also includes more complex care such as assessment and management of your risk factors for disease and, if you already have a chronic disease, regular review of your progress and treatment.
Your KFP team is passionate about preventative health care and may proactively contact you, or talk to you next time you are in, about your risk for developing disease if you have identifiable risk factors (such as family history, high blood pressure, if you are overweight, if you smoke, or if blood test results indicate a potential risk). If you already have a diagnosed condition, we will encourage you to attend for reviews so that your GP can help you to keep your symptoms under control.
Annual Flu Vaccination
Flu season generally hits around our winter months. You can reduce your chances of catching the flu by having an annual flu vaccination. The annual flu vaccination offers protection against the most commonly occurring flu viruses circulating each year. Flu vaccinations are generally available from March or April each year.
The Australian Government provides the flu vaccination free of charge if you:
- are pregnant, or
- are 65 years and over, or
- identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, or
- have a chronic condition that may put you at risk of respiratory illness
People of any age (including children) who do not fit the criteria for a free vaccination are able to purchase one directly from the practice. Contrary to some beliefs, having a flu vaccination will NOT give you the flu - the flu vaccination used in Australia does not contain any live virus, so you cannot get influenza from the flu vaccination.