Immunisation

Council is now running regular community immunisation sessions at various community venues across the Shire, including Dunolly, Carisbrook, Talbot, Bealiba and Maryborough.

Session days and times will vary to ensure all people can come along, including out-of-business hours options.

To improve our service delivery, we have now moved to using VaxApp, an online immunisation management platform.

By using VaxApp, you can:

• Book and manage individual and family appointments online
• Provide digital consent during the booking process, which reduces onsite administration at your appointment, and reduces paper usage
• Receive reminders to book future appointments when you or your child is due for their next vaccines

Click HERE to register, book and manage your vaccination appointments online. 

Our Immunisation Team are running free immunisation sessions in Dunolly in 2025. 

The sessions are free for all vaccinations on the National Immunisation Programs, and for all ages.

Our sessions are to focus on reaching those who may not travel regularly into Maryborough and to ensure vaccinations are readily available for everyone.

DUNOLLY

Sessions are being held at the Dunolly Senior Citizens Club – 21 Bull Street, Dunolly. All sessions will be held between 10 to 11.30am on the following dates in 2025:

TALBOT

Sessions are being held for influenza vaccinations at Talbot ANA Hall – corner of Heales and Ballarat Street. All sessions will be held between 8.15 and 10am on the following dates:

• Thursday 22 May
• Thursday 19 June

Bookings are preferred for all sessions. To book contact Council’s Immunisation Services team on 0428 894 724 or email immunisation@cgoldshire.vic.gov.au

Immunisation from an early age is highly recommended for all Australian children. Having your child immunised helps to protect them from the most serious childhood infections, some of which may threaten their lives.

Routine childhood immunisations help to protect your child against:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants are also protected against meningococcal B disease.

The National Immunisation Program provides the routine childhood immunisations recommended for all children in Australia, free of charge. Some groups are more at risk than others in the community and may need extra vaccinations. The Victorian government funds some extra vaccines from time to time. 

Additional resources:

Immunisation Reminders

No Jab No Play

School Entry Immunisation Certificate

What if my child was immunised overseas?

Council provides immunisations to secondary school students as prescribed by the National Immunisation Program Schedule. Eligible students receive these vaccines at no cost, through a school-based immunisation program at Maryborough Education Centre and Highview College. 

Year 7 students are eligible to receive vaccinations against:

• Boostrix/Adacel - Diphtheria, Whooping Cough and Tetanus

• Gardasil Vaccine (one dose course) - Human Papillomavirus

Year 10 students are eligible to receive vaccination against:

• Nimenrix - Meningococcal A C W and Y

Some adolescents, particularly those who do not attend secondary school, may choose to access free vaccines from a general practitioner or Council's immunisation service. Parent/guardian consent is usually required. 

For more information, please contact your child’s school or Council’s Immunisation Coordinator immunisation@cgoldshire.vic.gov.au or 0428 894 724 

Additional information: 

Vaccination for Adolescents - Department of Health

Some infectious diseases can cause serious harm to pregnant women or their unborn babies. If you are planning to have a baby, try to get up to date with your routine immunisations before you become pregnant. 

All women should receive influenza and whooping cough vaccines during every pregnancy.  

Serious side effects or allergic reactions to vaccines are rare.

Immunisation before pregnancy

If you are planning for a baby, preparations you can make include: 

• Visit your doctor for a health check-up. The doctor will order a blood test to check your immunity to some diseases (including rubella, chickenpox and hepatitis B) to see if you are protected. Based on the results, the doctor may recommend vaccination.

• If you are not up to date with any of your routine immunisations, ask your doctor about catch-up doses. 

• Ask anyone else living in your house to be up-to-date with their immunisations to reduce their risk of passing diseases on to you and your baby.

• Avoid getting pregnant for at least one month after having the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine or the chickenpox vaccine.  

Immunisation during pregnancy

Having the influenza and whooping cough vaccines during pregnancy is the best way you can protect your unborn baby. When you are immunised, your antibodies transfer from you to your developing baby. They receive protection in the first months of life when they are too young to be vaccinated.

Influenza infection can cause serious complications in pregnant women that can affect the unborn baby. Whooping cough (pertussis) infection can cause serious complications in babies, including death. This is why it is recommended that you are immunised against whooping cough and influenza during every pregnancy.

Influenza immunisation is free and recommended at any time during pregnancy. 

Whooping cough combination* vaccine is free for pregnant women from 20 weeks gestation during every pregnancy. It is recommended that pregnant women have the whooping cough combination vaccine between 20 and 32 weeks gestation, but it can be given up until delivery.

In Victoria, the whooping cough containing vaccine is also free for partners of women who are at least 28 weeks pregnant, if the partner has not received a whooping cough booster in the last 10 years.

There is no evidence that these vaccines will harm your unborn baby. 

Additional information:

Better Health Channel - Vaccines in Pregnancy

Council provides an annual influenza program for residents within the Shire. The flu vaccine is available at our community sessions for all people aged 6 months and older. This includes a flu vaccine specifically for people aged 65 years and older.

Flu vaccines are available to some people for free, including: 

The cost of the flu vaccine is $15 per dose for anyone not eligible for publicly funded vaccine. We are accepting credit card and EFTPOS payments only. 

Workplace Flu Program

Council offers a seasonal flu program for small businesses located within the Shire.

If you wish to participate, please contact the Immunisation Coordinator via immunisation@cgoldshire.vic.gov.au or 0428 894 724.

Additional information:

Flu (influenza) - immunisation

We know immunisations are important to protect babies and children against preventable diseases, but did you know immunisations for older people are equally important? As you get older, your immune system can become less effective at protecting you from some diseases. 

Immunisation is a proven and safe way to protect yourself against diseases that can cause serious illness, and sometimes even death. It can also help stop the spread of diseases by protecting others in your community too.

Immunisations for older people have been overlooked for a long time, but we now know we can prevent many diseases that can cause big problems later in life. This can help you live a longer, healthier and more comfortable life.

The Australian Government gives some immunisations for older people at no charge under the National Immunisation Program (NIP). 

The following immunisations are free:

• Shingrix (shingles) – for people aged over 65 years
• Influenza (flu) – is an annual vaccine for people aged 65 years and over, and for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. You will need to get this every year
• Pneumococcal – for healthy people aged 70 years and over, or healthy 50 years and over Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, or any age with a specified medical risk condition.
  
  

Other immunisations recommended for a small fee include:

• Whooping cough/Tetanus/Diphtheria - boosters required every 10 years and in anticipation of a new addition to the family.

Additional information:

Better Health Channel - Vaccines for Older People

Immunisation History Statements are a listing of all your vaccinations recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). The AIR is a national register that records vaccines given to people of all ages in Australia. 

The AIR is a national register that records vaccines given to people of all ages in Australia. This includes:

• all vaccines funded under the National Immunisation Program (NIP)

• most school-based vaccines provided under State and Territory vaccination programs

• most privately funded vaccines, including influenza and travel vaccines

It’s up to your vaccination provider to record your vaccinations on the AIR.

You can get a statement from the AIR. You may need an Immunisation History Statement for child care and school enrolment, or employment at certain workplaces. Centrelink uses them to determine eligibility for some family assistance payments.

You can also check the statement to make sure your child’s vaccinations are up to date.

For a child under 14 years, a parent/carer can get a child’s statement. 

The quickest way to get your child’s statement is by using your Medicare online account. Do this through the:

• myGov website

• Express Plus Medicare mobile app

You can save and email the statement directly to your child’s pre-school or childcare centre.

You can also call the AIR enquiries line. It can take up to 10 business days to get your statement in the post. 

For adults and teenagers aged over 14 years, you will need to obtain your own statement. This is done by:

• Online, by setting up their own myGov account and then accessing their Medicare online account 

• through the Express Plus Medicare mobile app

• by calling the AIR enquiries line. It can take up to 10 business days to get your statement in the post

• by asking their doctor or immunisation provider to print a copy for them.

Young people aged 14 years or older can give Services Australia permission for their parents to access their immunisation history statement. 

Updating your details

The AIR uses your details from your Medicare record.

Make sure the personal details you have recorded with Medicare are up to date. You can update your Medicare details online using your Medicare online account. Do this through: 

• myGov website

• Express Plus Medicare mobile app

If you identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person, you can choose to record this in your Medicare details. 

Immunisation Request Form

The Immunisation Team can provide you with a list of the immunisations you have received from our service.  Other immunisations provided by another service should be available from the Australian Immunisation Register. 

Apply via this form to find out what immunisation you have had with Central Goldfields Shire Immunisation Service. An immunisation team member will respond to you within 5 working days. 

• If you have recently moved to Australia and have had children immunised overseas we can facilitate an Australian Immunisation History statement and a catch-up plan to be protected from disease in Australia.  Please call us to enquire.

• If you are aware that your child has missed scheduled immunisations, we can develop a catch-up schedule in order to get them up to date.

Immunisation services continue to be available for new COVID-19 variants.

Currently, the Central Goldfields Shire Immunisation Service is unable to provide the COVID vaccine to the community, however there are numerous other locations available. Find out more about COVID-19 vaccinations, including locations to book.