Dr Luke Morphett taking leave
Luke will be taking some time off to be a stay-at-home parent from mid-April, and is planning to return in the second half of the year. We wish Luke and his family well during this special time!
More vaccine updates
Autumn is the ideal time to check that all your vaccines are up to date as many of the seasonal viruses start to circulate in higher numbers. See our in-depth article on the new RSV vaccine and don’t forget:
- Influenza, vaccines will start arriving in April
- Updated COVID booster advice
- Whooping cough (pertussis) – there has been a 10-fold increase in cases so far this year
Influenza Vaccine
The influenza vaccine is updated every year and is available for children aged 6 months and over and all adults.
Those at risk of severe illness are strongly recommended to have the vaccine each year and are eligible for a government-funded one:
- Children aged 6 months to 5 years
- Pregnant women
- Adults aged 65 years and older
- All ATSI people from the age of 6 months
- Anyone with serious health conditions like asthma, diabetes, cancer, immune problems, obesity, kidney, heart, lung or liver disease
More information:
COVID Vaccine
There is still plenty of Covid around, and ATAGI have updated their advice for 2024 and now recommend a Covid booster:
- Every 6 months for all adults aged 75+
- Every 12 months (can consider every 6 months) for the following 2 groups:
- Adults aged 65-74
- Adults aged 18-64 with severe immunocompromise
- The following 2 groups should consider a COVID booster every 12 months:
- Adults aged 18-64
- Children aged 5-17 with severe immunocompromise
Boosters are still not recommended for children under 5.
The preferred vaccine is the latest version against the XBB1.5 strain. It can be given with other vaccines and is still government-funded.
More information:
Whooping cough (pertussis)
Whooping cough is a bacterial respiratory infection that can affect people of all ages but can be life-threatening in babies. Older children and adults are a major source of infection being passed onto young babies. Luckily vaccination can reduce the risk of infection and serious illness but it must be given every 10 years to maintain immunity.
Australia is experiencing a major uptick in cases, with a 10-fold increase in cases so far this year. Public health authorities are urging all adults to check their vaccination status and have a booster if it’s been 10 years or more since the last one.
Whooping cough vaccination is especially important for:
- Pregnant women between 20-32 weeks (28 weeks is ideal) to protect their newborn in the first few months of life
- Adults who care for or visit babies under the age of 6 months such as other adults in the household, babysitters and grandparents
- Infants and their siblings
The whooping cough vaccine is government-funded for children and pregnant women or at a cost of around $50-$60 for other adults.
More information: