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Watch the footy, get immunised and kick a goal for your health
27 May 2009
Tingha community members can watch the footy, get immunised and kick a goal for their health this weekend, thanks to an Inverell Community Health initiative.
A free immunisation stall will be set up at Tingha Sport and Recreation Club this Sunday, 31 May from 12.30pm. Free childhood and adult immunisations will be offered to Aboriginal community members, including Boosterix for whooping cough.
Aboriginal community members over the age of 15, as well as non-Aboriginal community members over the age of 65, will also be offered free fluvax at the footy.
Community Health staff thought that offering the free service at a football game was an appealing, grassroots way of reinforcing the importance of childhood and adult immunisations.
Immunisation is a simple, safe way of protecting children and adults against harmful infections and diseases. The risks of these diseases – such as measles, whooping cough, polio, mumps and tetanus and flu – are far greater than the very small risks of immunisation.
Immunisation Registered Nurse at Inverell Community Health Centre, Leanne Fitzgerald, said childhood and adult diseases were very real and should not be underestimated.
“With the recent outbreak of whooping cough in our area, some parents have been exposed to the terrible consequences of this infectious disease,” Leanne said.
“We want to ensure parents continue to understand the importance of fulfilling their child’s Immunisation Schedule (Blue Book), which starts at birth and continues until they are four years old.”
Parents should be aware that the adverse reactions felt by some children after receiving vaccinations are small, and that the life of a child far outweighs the risk of not immunising.
Common reactions may include slight pain and reddening at the injection site, and occasionally the child may feel slightly “off colour”, though this is uncommon and may only last a day or two.
Parents or grandparents attending the footy at Tingha with their children this Sunday have been asked to take along their child’s Blue Book, so that immunisations can be recorded on-the-spot.
(HNE-1867)
Contact: Carisa Green
Phone: (02) 6767 7135 or 0428 106 183
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