infectious diseases
Explainer: what is conjunctivitis and how did I get it?
Explainer: what is conjunctivitis and how did I get it? Jason Yosar, The University of Queensland Conjunctivitis is an eye disease that has been described since antiquity. Ancient Roman oculists, …
Microcephaly case-control study confirms Zika virus causality
Preliminary findings from 32 cases confirm causality but the true size of the effect will only be available following the full analysis of all 200 cases and 400 controls. The …
Tanya du Plessis is NZ’s pharmacist of the year
The Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand has named its pharmacist of the year: Tanya du Plessis, the infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Stewardship pharmacist at Middlemore Hospital. Du Plessis is the …
Flu warning about the elderly
Protect vulnerable people as flu cases rise: NSW Health People with flu symptoms have been warned to stay away from aged care facilities and vulnerable groups following a spike in …
Quadrivalent flu vaccine to replace trivalent
A new quadrivalent vaccine will replace Fluvax, Sequiris’ trivalent vaccine for the 2017 flu season. “It is generally accepted that QIV is becoming the preferred seasonal vaccine, as was the …
Sending sick staff home may spread disease faster
It’s become a common-sense policy suggested by health stakeholders the world over: stay home when you’re sick, to avoid spreading infection. But during an epidemic of infectious diseases such as …
‘No jab, no pay’ gets vaccine objectors immunising
An additional 5,700 children who would not otherwise have been vaccinated have been given their jabs this year as a result of the Government’s “no jab, no pay” policy, it …
Intranasal flu vaccine under scrutiny
An influenza vaccine delivered intranasally should not be given in any setting during the 2016-17 flu season in the US, its manufacturer has said. AstraZeneca confirmed that the Advisory Committee …
Ego opens flammable goods manufacturing facility
Australian manufacturing is getting a boost this week as Ego Pharmaceuticals opens its new $15 million dollar flammable goods manufacturing facility. Ego’s managing director Alan Oppenheim says the new facility …
Victorian Govt highlights pharmacist pertussis vaccination
The Victorian Government is encouraging consumers to protect themselves from whooping cough and the flu, highlighting that they can now receive flu and whooping cough vaccinations from their local pharmacist …
Clinical tips: common cold 101
Common cold season is here, and it’s time to brush up on how to treat them, writes Louis Roller The common cold, also known simply as a cold, is a viral infectious disease of …
Clinical tips: influenza
With all states and territories now offering pharmacist vaccination, it’s more important than ever to be up to date on the flu, writes Louis Roller Influenza (the flu) is a …