One-day travel immunisation clinic to help ward off TB

A TEMPORARY satellite travel immunisation clinic for the Greater Bendigo community – co-provided by the City and the Family Immunisation & Travel Specialists Clinic (FITS) – will be open to all on Thursday 13 November at the Strathdale Community Hub in Crook Street.

City of Greater Bendigo community and environment manager Sue Harrison said the satellite clinic will specifically provide local access to the BCG (Bacillus Calmette–Guérin) vaccine, a live vaccine used to prevent tuberculosis, particularly in babies and young children, without the need to travel to Melbourne.

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium mycobacterium tuberculosis and most commonly affects people’s lungs.

“These types of immunisations are recommended for those travelling to countries with a high incidence of tuberculosis,” she said.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for parents with young children who are intending to travel overseas to these countries to receive the necessary travel vaccines in Greater Bendigo.

“The first clinic we held in May was very popular as people living in regional Victoria usually have to travel to Melbourne to get their travel immunisations, (because) the service is not normally offered in regional Victoria.

“FITS is Victoria’s largest private travel clinic for kids, comprising a team of paediatricians and immunisation nurses who specialise in travel medicine and immunisation, and there will be costs associated with receiving the BCG vaccine.”

The clinic will be open from 9am to 3pm on the day and patients must obtain a referral from their GP to attend.

To book online, visit fitsclinic.com/travel/bcg.