1. 1 Immunisations and Swan Hill Rural City Council Julie James Environmental Health Officer

2. 2 What does immunisation mean? Immunisation protects both children and adults against harmful diseases before they come into contact with them in the community They can be given by injection or as an oral vaccine.

3. 3 What does immunisation mean? Continued. The human immune system is a collection of special cells and chemicals that fight infection. The human body can gain immunity against certain diseases either naturally (by catching and surviving, or coming into contact with, the illness) or through immunisation.

4. 4 What does immunisation mean? Continued. Vaccines help reduce the risk of diseases by introducing a greatly weakened or dead microbe (germ) to the immune system. Antibodies against the microbe are made without the person getting sick. If the real disease-causing germ is ever encountered, the immune system knows how to defeat it and illness is avoided.

5. 5 What does immunisation mean? Continued. Vaccines are designed according to how particular germs make you sick. For example, the reaction to measles is to the whole organism. However, in tetanus, the body reacts to the poison produced by the tetanus germ rather than the germ itself.

6. 6 Vaccination success stories Small pox: up until the 1960s, around two million people lost their lives every year to this highly contagious disease. In 1967, the World Health Organisation started an aggressive global immunisation campaign that saw small pox eradicated from the planet in 12 years.

7. 7 Vaccination success stories continued.. Poliomyelitis (polio): this viral disease attacks the motor cells of the brain and spinal cord, potentially causing paralysis, and death. Immunisation campaigns began in the 1950s have virtually eradicated polio in the West.

8. 8 Vaccination success stories continued.. Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib disease): since vaccination against Hib disease was introduced into Victoria in 1993, cases amongst children have dropped over 90 per cent.

9. 9 What is the Council’s role? The immunisation function of municipal councils, as specified in section 29A(g) of the current Health Act 1958, is ‘coordinating the immunisation of children living or being educated within the municipal district’.

10. 10 What does the Council provide? Swan Hill Rural City Council conducts two immunisation session per month, a morning and an evening session at the Masonic Hall in Beveridge Street. Council’s Public Health Services also conducts the school immunisation sessions, which involves three visits per year.

11. 11 What diseases does the Council vaccinate against? Council’s Public Health Services provides vaccinations as part of the National Immunisation Program Schedule. These vaccinations are provided free.

12. 12 What diseases does the Council vaccinate against? Cont.. Hepatitis B: inflammation (swelling and pain) of the liver. It is a viral infection that can lead to serious illness and death. The virus is found in the blood. Diphtheria: is a communicable bacterial disease that causes severe inflammation of the nose, throat and windpipe (trachea).

13. 13 What diseases does the Council vaccinate against? Cont.. Measles: a very contagious viral illness that causes a skin rash and fever. Mumps: a viral illness that causes fever and swollen salivary glands. Rubella: a viral illness that causes a skin rash and joint pains. Chicken pox: a highly contagious viral disease that causes a blistering skin rash.

14. 14 What diseases does the Council vaccinate against? Cont.. Pertussis (Whooping cough): is a serious, contagious respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. The disease begins like a cold and then the characteristic cough develops. HPV: Cervical cancer almost always develops from cell changes caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is spread through genital skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity. Tetanus: is a serious bacterial disease that causes muscle spasms and breathing problems.

15. 15 What diseases does the Council vaccinate against? Cont.. Meningococcal C: is any infection caused by bacteria (germs) called meningococci, also known as Neisseria meningitidis. These include infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) or infection in the bloodstream (septicaemia). Hib disease: is a life-threatening bacterial infection that can lead to serious illness, especially in children. Conditions such as meningitis, epiglottitis and pneumonia can develop very quickly and may require urgent medical attention.

16. 16 What diseases does the Council vaccinate against? Cont.. Pneumococcal: refers to a range of illnesses that affect various parts of the body and are caused by infection with the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, commonly known as the pneumococcus. Illnesses range from mild infections, such as ear infection, to pneumonia and life-threatening infections of the bloodstream and central nervous system, such as meningitis. Polio: a serious disease, caused by infection with one of the three types of poliovirus. Symptoms vary from mild, flu-like symptoms to life-threatening paralysis.

17. 17 Common side effects of immunisations Low-grade fever Pain at the injection site Redness or swelling at the injection sites

18. 18 The reasons why immunisations should not be given The child is suffering from an acute illness or has a temperature over 38°C Following previous dose of vaccine any of the following occur: -Severe allergic reaction or anaphylaxis -Convulsion with or without fever within 3 days -Persistent, severe or inconsolable screaming or crying for 3 or more hours -Collapse or shock like state within 48 hours -Temperature of more than 40.5 °C within 48 hours -Severe local reaction eg. Extensive area of redness and swelling involving most of the injected limb within 48 hours.

19. 19 Council’s role in communicable disease investigations Section 29A of the Health Act 1958 obligates Council to prevent and control disease. Council has a role to play in notifying cases of infectious diseases to the Department of Human Services and providing local level information and assistance with control investigations.

20. 20 Council’s role in communicable disease investigations continued. Environmental Health Officers may become involved in the public health management of cases of infectious diseases in various ways: -Cases may be referred by the Department of Human Services for further investigation. -Cases may be reported directly to them from the local community. -They may become aware of cases as a result of their own observations and investigations.

21. 21 Your task! Develop a power point presentation detailing a communicable disease. A number of these may be placed on the Council’s website and used as part of presentations such as these to other school or community groups

22. 22 Some useful websites Better Health Channel http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/ http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/ Victorian Government Health Information- Immunisation home http://www.health.vic.gov.au/immunisation http://www.health.vic.gov.au/immunisation Victorian Government Health Information- Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Surveillance (IDEAS) http://www.health.vic.gov.au/ideas http://www.health.vic.gov.au/ideas