Community
22 April, 2026
Time to get your flu shot
STAFF at Timboon District Healthcare Service (TDHS) Medical Clinic are encouraging residents to get their flu vaccines ahead of winter this year to protect themselves from getting sick as the weather gets cooler.
Practice nurse Amanda Nash said Timboon Medical Clinic staff were encouraging people to phone in and book for their flu vaccine.
“The influenza is actually so debilitating for many people, especially for the immunocompromised, young children or older adults,” she said.
“The flu isn’t just a cough, a cold and a sniffle – it can actually lay you up in bed for quite a few days, if not weeks, with residual issues after that as well.
“Getting the flu shot is about protecting yourself and also those around you.
“We’re doing 10, 20 people at a time – it’s with a doctor, the doctor does the computer stuff and one of the nurses does the vaccine.”
Mrs Nash said getting the vaccine didn’t have to interfere with your day-to-day life and most people wouldn’t experience any adverse effects.
“It’s a really fine needle and most people say they didn’t even feel it,” she said.
“Some people have a slight reaction afterwards but a majority of the people don’t notice anything different.
“We encourage them to drink plenty of water for the next 24 hours but that’s the same with any vaccine, just to stay hydrated so it gets around their body.
“They can participate in sport afterwards, they can go to training, some people worry they’ve got footy or netball training on that evening, but it shouldn’t interfere with your daily life.”
People over 65 and under five are eligible for a government-funded vaccine, which means it’s free.
Pregnant women and First Nations people are also eligible for the free government-funded flu vaccine.
There are also people with certain medical conditions which are eligible for the government-funded vaccine.
These conditions include cardiac disease, chronic respiratory conditions, immunocompromised conditions, haematological disorders, chronic metabolic disorders (which includes diabetes), chronic kidney disease, chronic neurological conditions and long-term aspirin therapy in children aged five to 10 years.
“The government wouldn’t be giving it to us for nothing if it was not needed, recommended or beneficial,” Mrs Nash said.
“The in-betweens, so from five years of age up until 65, it’s $20 here at Timboon Clinic.”
It is recommended to get a flu vaccine every year before the start of the flu season because the strain of flu changes each year.
“Like COVID, if we can think of the strain of COVID, has changed since the very initial one, the 2026 version of COVID is different to way back in 2020, and it’s the same with the flu, it changes every year,” Mrs Nash said.
“The southern hemisphere where we live models it on the northern hemisphere which has its winter before us.
“This year it’s actually a trivalent which is three strains are covered.
“In previous years it’s been a quadrivalent, meaning four strains have been covered, but they’ve found and done research each year that the fourth strain that they’ve always covered for doesn’t seem to be around anymore.”
To book in your flu shot, call Timboon Medical Clinic on 5558 6088.