Immunisation

Immunisation is the safest and most effective way of giving you and your family protection against a variety of diseases that may cause significant illness, permanent damage or even death. If enough people are immunised, the infection can no longer be spread from person to person and the disease dies out altogether. As a direct result of immunisation, polio has disappeared from many countries and the small pox disease has been completely wiped out.

When a person is vaccinated, the body produces an immune response in the same way it would after being exposed to a disease, but without the person suffering any symptoms of the disease. If the person comes in contact with that disease in the future, their immune system will respond rapidly enough to prevent the person developing the disease.

Adelaide City Council is committed to protecting you, your family and the community from preventable diseases. Scheduled childhood and adult vaccinations on the National Immunisation Program are available free of charge at the drop-in immunisation clinic held at Council's South West Community Centre.

Immunisation clinic

South West Community CentreAdelaide City Council runs a drop-in immunisation clinic at the South West Community Centre located at 171 Sturt Street, ADELAIDE. The clinic is available to members of the public and is held on the third Tuesday of every month from 2:30-4:30pm.

Nearest Bus Stop: Stop 25, Sturt Street, Adelaide.
The South West Community Clinic is a disability friendly building.

Vaccinations available at the clinic

Scheduled vaccinations on the National Immunisation Program are available free of charge from Council's South West Community Centre.

H1N1 (swine) influenza vaccination will no longer be available at clinic after 15 June 2010. The vaccination will be available through GP's until the end of September 2010.

The following non-scheduled vaccines are also available from the South West Community Centre:
Prices as at 17/9/09 and subject to change without notice.
No credit card facilities available.

* MMR - No charge for catch-up program, born from 1966
* Varicella Zoster - No charge for children born from 1 May 2004
Note: MMR & Chicken Pox can be given at the same time but if not, you must wait 4 weeks

What to take to immunisation sessions

Ensure you take your child's Personal Health Record book and Medicare card to every immunisation session you attend.

Important information you should tell the doctor or nurse
when taking your child for an immunisation

● Is your child unwell today?
● Has your child had a severe reaction following any vaccine?
● Does your child have any severe allergies has your child had a live vaccine within the last month (including tuberculosis, MMR, chicken pox, oral poliomyelitis or yellow fever?
● Has your child had an injection of immunoglobulin, or a whole blood transfusion in the last 3 months?
● Does your child have a disease which lowers immunity (e.g. leukemia, cancer, HIV/AIDS) or is having treatment which lowers immunity (e.g. steroid medicines such as cortisone and prednisone, radiotherapy and chemotherapy)?
● Does your child live with someone who has a disease which lowers immunity, or lives with someone who is having treatment which lowers immunity?
● Does your child live with someone who is not immunised?
● Is your child an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person?

Common side effects of immunisation

Many vaccine injections may result in redness, soreness, itching, swelling or burning at the site of injections as well as mild fever. While these symptoms may concern you and upset your child at the time, the benefit of immunisation is protecting your child from disease. If your child does experience such symptoms, you may consider using paracetomol to help ease the fever and soreness. More serious reactions and other side effects to immunisation are very rare but if they do occur, a doctor should be consulted immediately.

Determining which vaccinations are due for your child and when

Located on the Department of Health's website is the on-line Immunisation Calculator which assists parents and carers to schedule their children's immunisation up to their 7th birthday. The calculator is a computer based system which uses the National Immunisation Program to determine what vaccinations are due and when.

Useful links

Other websites which contain immunisation information and which may be of interest have been listed below:

» SA Department of Health
» Australian Department of Health & Ageing
» Australian Childhood Immunisation Register
» Child and Youth Health

Useful fact sheets

» You've Got What - Immunisation

Sources:

The Australian Immunisation Handbook 8th Edition 2003
SA Department of Health immunisation web page (2007)
Australian Department of Health & Aging immunisation web page (2007)