I have found an interesting article on how family doctors (aka general practitioners) are still important in supplying health care to the modern society. Although this article is written by an American doctor, the general practitioner in Australia is an important source of advice, medical treatment and a gateway to further health care, if required.

I totally agree with the author’s final paragraph, which I quote,

“Often I describe to patients the family doctor’s role as the hub of a wheel, the spokes of which lead to specialists when needed, returning to the hub for ongoing care. If the family doctor were ever to be unwisely edged out of patient care, that would be one wheel that would need reinvention.”

The full article is found at KevinMD.com , and is written by Dr Pepi Granat, a family doctor for 39 years in the USA.

Dr David Dowling

This post has been sourced from the Queensland Health website – http://www.health.qld.gov.au/flu/vacc_suspension.asp .

What has happened?
There has been a higher than usual number of children 5 years and under experiencing fevers, vomiting and febrile convulsions following seasonal influenza vaccination, in the Western Australian seasonal influenza vaccination program.

Due to this, the seasonal influenza vaccination program for children five years and under is being temporarily suspended Australia-wide. This is on advice from the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer.

Continue reading “Suspension of the Seasonal Influenza Vaccine for Children Five Years and Under” »

The current outbreak of Pertussis (Whooping Cough) which commenced in Queensland in 2008 continues to spread. We have had several positive cases at the surgery over the last few weeks. It is important that all new born babies should be vaccinated against this illness. The Government is currently supplying free Pertussis vaccination to parents of new-borns. These vaccinations are available from our surgery.

I have added a brief information page on this debilitating illness, which can be viewed following this link.

Dr David Dowling