http://www.tasmaniavaccinesolutions.com.au/

Tasmania Vaccine Solutions, Launceston (2026)

28/01/2026

When flu was “just a winter thing” and kids were an afterthought

There was a time when flu was talked about as a short, sharp winter illness.
Usually a concentrated period of illness, then it was assumed to be over until the following year.
That’s not what’s happening anymore.

Across Tasmania and Australia, influenza activity in recent seasons has extended well beyond the traditional winter window. Surveillance data at both state and national levels shows flu continuing into spring and, at times, even summer. The tidy idea of a neat, predictable “flu season” no longer matches what’s happening.

In practical terms, that means:
• flu is circulating for longer
• people are getting sick later in the year
• treating flu prevention as a winter-only problem is a bit like packing away the warm jacket in Tassie because the calendar says “summer”

At the same time, one group has consistently been under-prioritised in flu prevention: children.

Despite being extremely efficient at spreading respiratory viruses (no offence, kids), childhood flu vaccination is often framed as optional or secondary. Something families get to if they remember, between school lunches and forgotten library books. Nationally, vaccination coverage in children has historically lagged behind other age groups.
And when kids get flu, they don’t always just get a sniffle and bounce back.
Some become quite unwell, missing a week or more of school or, in some cases, needing hospital care.

As a nurse, one thing has become very clear to me: availability alone doesn’t equal protection.
Access matters just as much.

This vaccine has been used internationally for years, especially in child-focused immunisation programs because it:
• improves vaccination uptake
• reduces needle distress
• removes one of the biggest barriers families face
• helps protect children who might otherwise miss out

It’s not new science.
It’s the same science, delivered with children in mind.

Since my last post, I’ve had a lot of thoughtful questions, so I want to address the most common ones properly.

💰 Cost

The cost is $65 per child.

This reflects:
• the higher cost of the nasal vaccine itself
• strict cold chain handling requirements
• screening to make sure it’s appropriate for each child
• Clinics are delivered by experienced, locally based authorised nurse immunisers with extensive experience working with children, all holding current Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) checks.

This year, Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia are providing the needle-free FluMist® vaccine for young children (aged 2-5) while Tasmania continues to offer bulk-billed injectable influenza vaccines for children aged 2–5.

As an independent nurse-led service, I’m not able to offer bulk billing. Services are privately provided, with a focus on safety, time, and child-centred care.

Ingredients & product information

Transparency matters.

I’m very happy to share the official product information and ingredient insert for anyone who would like to read it in full. I’ll link this in the comments so people can access the original source.

😬 Adults with needle-related anxiety

At this stage, the nasal flu vaccine is approved by the TGA for children aged 2-18. That said, needle fear is something I work with every week, and there are other strategies I use to help adults get vaccinated safely and respectfully, without shame or eye-rolling.

What’s happening next

These clinics won’t be limited to one location.

I’m planning to run nasal flu vaccine clinics after Easter, depending on venue availability and community demand. Once locations and dates are confirmed, booking details will be shared.

Parents and carers may also receive a flu vaccine on the day, subject to standard screening and consent.

Why I’ve brought this to Tasmania

Because flu isn’t neatly confined to winter anymore.
Because kids are often forgotten in flu prevention strategies.
Because when patterns change, healthcare needs to keep up.

Healthcare works best when it adapts to real-world needs. This is evidence-based, child-centred care that prioritises safety, comfort, and outcomes.

26/01/2026

Needle-Free Flu Vaccination Is Coming to Tasmania in 2026 👃

In 2026, I’ll be running FluMist nasal spray flu vaccine clinics in Tasmania.
A needle-free flu vaccine for children that has been used successfully overseas for many years.

For families who struggle with needles, this is a genuinely exciting option. And let’s be honest, that’s a lot of kids.

Why this matters

Around 1 in 4 Australian children are afraid of needles, which can be a real barrier to vaccination

In countries where FluMist has been used for years, childhood flu vaccination rates have significantly increased

Same protection, without the stress, tears, or needle anxiety

Who it’s for

Approved for children aged 2–18 years

Offered as a private vaccination service in Tasmania

About the vaccine

Nasal spray, no needles

Two quick sprays, one in each nostril

Trivalent formulation, aligned with WHO and ATAGI recommendations

Administered by a trained health professional

More details on clinic locations, dates, and bookings will be shared closer to the 2026 flu season.

One less needle. One more reason to protect kids this winter.

21/01/2026

Most of us have already met Typhoid Mary, not literally, but through the legend.
The cook who never felt sick.
The woman who carried typhoid without knowing it.
The asymptomatic spreader who became a case study in what happens when public health meets human rights… and everything gets messy.

Mary Mallon infected dozens while working as a cook in early 1900s New York. Each outbreak traced back to her, but she refused to believe it because she felt perfectly fine. No fever, no symptoms, no warning. Eventually, the city quarantined her twice, for a combined total of almost three decades.

And here’s where it gets tricky.

Was it justified?
Was it ethical?
Was it preventable?

If you zoom out, Mary wasn’t malicious, she was a working-class immigrant woman in a time with almost no health education, no antibiotics, and no modern screening. The system failed to support her, then punished her.

But the outbreaks she caused? They were very real.

This is why public health is never just about germs, it’s about ethics, equity, education, and systems that don’t leave people behind.

Because history’s lesson is clear:
When communities don’t have access to screening, good information, or safe alternatives, outbreaks aren’t a “Mary problem”. They’re a systems problem.

Keep people safe before there’s a crisis.
Support individuals so they never become a cautionary tale.

Prevention isn’t glamorous, but it’s what keeps communities steady and stories like Mary’s impossible.

19/01/2026

We’re Still Not Ready for the Next Pandemic, But We Can Be 💉🦠

A new report from the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) says the world remains highly vulnerable to the next pandemic and it’s time for a serious rethink of how we prepare.

Here’s what the experts are calling for 👇

🩺 Care — Strengthen and properly fund primary healthcare systems so they can hold steady under pressure. When local GPs, nurses, and community clinics are supported, everyone’s safer.

📊 Measure — Build real-time monitoring systems that track not only health, but how disease affects our economy, environment, and wellbeing.

🤝 Cooperate — Pandemics don’t respect borders. We need stronger global collaboration, transparent communication, and fair access to vaccines and treatments.

The lesson from COVID-19 is clear: being “ready next time” takes more than hope, it takes action, honesty, and investment in people and systems that keep us safe.

👩‍⚕️ Why This Matters (Here in Tassie and for You)

It’s not just when the next pandemic hits it’s how ready we are.
That includes your GP, local hospital, your workplace policies, and yes, you.

When primary care is strong, frontline workers (like me) can do our jobs without being overwhelmed. That means more people get the care they need, on time.

Better risk tracking means faster responses fewer outbreaks, fewer disruptions, and no more “we didn’t see it coming.”

And global cooperation means we’re not scrambling for PPE, vaccines, or medicines when panic sets in.

We all said “never again” after COVID but never again doesn’t happen by accident.
It takes planning, investment, honesty, and trust.

Preparedness is everyone’s business, it lives in your workplace, your community, your phone, and your next health check-up.

💡 What You Can Do

💉 Check your jabs.
Make sure you’re up to date, it’s one of the simplest ways to protect yourself and everyone around you.

🏥 Know your local health team.
Find out who your nearest GP, nurse, or clinic is, and how they’d reach you in an outbreak. Preparation starts close to home.

📱 Share facts, not Facebook drama.
Stick with credible info (Public Health Tasmania, your GP, or trusted health orgs). If it sounds wild or secretive, it probably is.

💙 Appreciate your healthcare workers but don’t leave it all to them.
We’ll keep showing up, but real resilience comes when we all play our part, together.

Preparedness isn’t panic, it’s care in advance.
Science gives us the tools.
Love gives us the reason. ❤️

15/01/2026

💉 Vaccine Hero Friday: Dr Kate O’Brien, Global Guardian of Immunisation

This week’s vaccine hero is Dr Kate O’Brien, a Canadian paediatrician who leads the World Health Organisation’s Immunisation and Vaccines Department.

Dr O’Brien has spent her life making sure everyone, everywhere has access to life-saving vaccines, no matter where they live or how much money they have.

She’s worked on the ground in remote Indigenous communities, refugee camps, and major hospitals always with one goal: to protect people before they get sick.

Dr O’Brien says: “The success of vaccines is that, basically, nothing happens.”
Because when vaccines work, disease doesn’t.

She also reminds us that: “Vaccine equity remains one of the most urgent global health challenges of our time.”

And that’s what makes her a true hero leading global efforts to protect every child, in every corner of the world.

💉 Quiet prevention. Global impact. Real leadership.

13/01/2026

Business Wednesday....A Very Human Moment

This week I had one of those moments where your stomach drops and you think… oh no.

I sent out 103 brochures to local businesses and didn’t put enough postage on the envelopes. Instead of just receiving my flyer, each business ended up with a $3.35 Australia Post invoice.

Cue instant embarrassment.

I could have ignored it. Hoped it would quietly go away. Told myself it was small and probably not worth addressing.

But it didn’t sit right.

So I emailed every business. I said sorry. I explained what happened. And I told them I would fix it.

Not because it was comfortable (it wasn’t), but because honesty matters to me. Especially when I get something wrong.

What this reminded me:
• Mistakes happen, even when your intentions are good
• People appreciate being treated like people, not problems
• Owning it early is always better than hoping it disappears

Next time I’ll double-check postage, slow down before a bulk send, and probably triple-check everything admin-related. Lesson well and truly learnt.

Running a small business isn’t just polished posts and wins. Sometimes it’s awkward emails, swallowing your pride, and choosing transparency over silence.

And honestly? I’d rather be known for fronting up than pretending I’m perfect.

11/01/2026

💉 Myth Busting Monday: From the Frontline ⚡

I’ve stood on the frontline, worn thin but proud,
Among the beeping, the chaos, the crowd.
A syringe in my hand, resolve in my chest
Not for the glory, but to give my best.

I’ve watched breath falter, held hands through the fear,
Heard whispers of hope that we’d keep them here.
Each jab we gave was more than a shot
It was love and science, tied in a knot.

They say “It’s just flu,” or “It’s all gone away,”
But I’ve seen what happens when trust decays.
We fought with evidence, kindness, and heart,
And kept the world from falling apart.

We’re not just health professionals doing our rounds
We’re the quiet heroes on shaky ground.
And though the world moves on from the fight,
We’ll keep rolling sleeves for what’s right. 💪

08/01/2026

💉 Vaccine Hero Friday: Dr Peter Hotez — Science with a Conscience

This week we honour Dr Peter Hotez, an American physician-scientist whose life’s work reminds us that compassion and science belong together.

As co-founder of the Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development, Dr Hotez has created low-cost vaccines for COVID-19 and neglected tropical diseases such as hookworm and schistosomiasis, illnesses that devastate poor communities but attract little commercial interest.

His mission is simple and profound:

“Vaccines are not political. They’re about saving lives, preventing suffering, and promoting human dignity.”

When others chased profit, Hotez chose access. He helped design a patent-free COVID vaccine, Corbevax, so countries could produce it locally and affordably.

“We built this vaccine for the world’s poorest nations. It belongs to everyone.”

Dr Hotez represents the humanitarian side of vaccine science the belief that prevention and knowledge should never be a privilege. His work reminds us that real public health leadership is about service, not spotlight.

💉 A scientist who builds bridges, not barriers.

06/01/2026

Business Wednesday

My marketing flex for 2026 is that I sent 103 flu workplace flu clinic brochures out into the world.

Construction sites.
Aged care facilities.
Government procurement.
Schools.

Addressed. Stamped. Posted. Gone.

Yes, there may have been a small amount of child labour involved in envelope stuffing and stamping. Payment was snacks, praise, and a very serious job title.

I did this because inboxes are already drowning in slick mail-merge emails from the mainland. Impressive stats. Huge workforces. Shiny logos.

That’s fine.

But I wanted to send something physical, human, and real.
Because that’s what I am.

This is what putting yourself out there actually looks like.
It’s uncomfortable.
It’s gritty.
It’s slightly unhinged.

Some of these brochures will absolutely end up in the bin. I’m at peace with that.

What I’m not at peace with is sitting around hoping the phone might ring while doing nothing to make it happen.

So I chose action over vibes.
Stamps over scrolling.
Mild embarrassment over regret.

Let’s not just talk about keeping Tasmania well.
Let’s actually do it.

Here’s hoping a few land on the right desks and turn into some very cool clients.

04/01/2026

Myth:
“Vaccines are rushed and not properly tested.”

Let’s science this properly (but keep it friendly).

Before a vaccine ever sees a needle, it goes through:

Pre-clinical testing (labs, models, lots of spreadsheets)

Phase I trials – safety and immune response

Phase II trials – dosing and side effects

Phase III trials – effectiveness and safety in thousands of people

This is not a “she’ll be right” process.
It’s more “check it, check it again, then have three committees argue about it”.

So why do vaccines sometimes look fast?
Because when something matters:

Funding shows up on time (rare, but beautiful)

Trials run in parallel, not one painfully slow step at a time

Scientists share data instead of sitting on it

Regulators review results as they come in, not six months later

Same safety standards.
Same data requirements.
Less waiting around for emails.

Another bit people don’t hear about:
Once approved, vaccines are monitored continuously across millions of doses.
If a rare side effect appears, it’s flagged, investigated, and reviewed.
Very exciting if you love databases. Less exciting if you love drama.

From a Tassie mum and nurse:
If vaccines were rushed or dodgy, nurses would be the first to say “yeah nah”.
We vaccinate our own kids, we don’t trial-and-error at home.

Bottom line:
Vaccines aren’t rushed.
They’re built on decades of research, tested in large trials, and watched like a hawk.

Not flashy science.
Just careful, nerdy people doing their jobs very thoroughly.

31/12/2025

🦟⚔️ When Rome Fell… To Mosquitoes?

Everyone loves the cinematic version of Ancient Rome’s collapse. Barbarians thundering through the gates. Political drama worthy of a Netflix series. Emperors making catastrophic decisions while wearing questionable sandals.

But behind all that chaos lurked a far quieter enemy… small enough to swat, yet powerful enough to help topple an empire.

Rome’s marshlands were perfect breeding territory for mosquitoes carrying malaria. Outbreak after outbreak swept through the population. Soldiers were weakened. Farmers couldn’t farm. Leaders died young. Cities struggled to function. When you zoom out over centuries, malaria wasn’t just an inconvenience, it became a silent force eroding the empire from within.

Some historians now argue that while Rome was busy fighting external threats, malaria was quietly chipping away at its foundations. A microscopic parasite doing what no army could.

Forget barbarians at the gate, Rome’s downfall may have come on the wings of a mosquito.

29/12/2025

Measles Is Back and It’s Spreading Fast 💉

Australia has recorded 133 measles cases so far this year, the highest number since 2019. Half of those are in people aged 20–34, mostly linked to overseas travel.

Measles isn’t just a kids’ illness, it’s one of the most contagious viruses on the planet. You can catch it just by walking into a room someone with measles was in hours earlier.

👉 Many young adults missed a dose growing up or don’t know if they’ve had both.
If that’s you, now’s the time to check.

✅ Free Measles Vaccine in Tasmania

Public Health Tasmania offers free measles (MMR) vaccination for:

Anyone born during or after 1966 who hasn’t had two doses or confirmed measles infection

Infants aged 6–12 months travelling to areas where measles is circulating

People under 20 and refugees needing catch-up childhood vaccines

Where to get vaccinated:

GPs – available for all ages

Pharmacies – for people aged 10+

Local council clinics – some councils provide this vaccine

If you’re unsure:
It’s recommended to get a booster dose of the MMR vaccine, it’s safe and provides extra protection.

If you think you might have measles, give Public Health Tasmania a call on 1800 671 738 before heading anywhere in person, it helps keep others safe.

💡 People born before 1966 are generally considered immune from natural infection.
💰 The vaccine is free for eligible people, though some clinics may charge a small consultation fee.

Don’t wait for an outbreak protection only works if you have it before exposure.
Check your record, roll up your sleeve, and keep our community safe.

Tasmania Vaccine Solutions

28/01/2026

26/01/2026

21/01/2026

19/01/2026

15/01/2026

13/01/2026

11/01/2026

08/01/2026

06/01/2026

04/01/2026

31/12/2025

29/12/2025

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