This was posted 11 years 2 months 10 days ago, and might be an out-dated deal.

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Get a Free Influenza Shot at Selected Medical Centres until Stocks Last

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Get a Free Influenza Shot at Selected Medical Centres until Stocks Last
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unity1 on 17/03/2013 - 08:34 1800bulkbill.com.au (2605 clicks)

To find your closest participating medical centre visit www.1800bulkbill.com.au/free and simply enter your suburb or postcode.

Patients must have a Medicare Card.

Patients must first consult with a Doctor at a participating medical centre. If the Doctor advises influenza vaccination is suitable for you, you will be given the vaccine at the same consultation and the whole consultation (including the flu vaccine) will be bulk-billed to Medicare.

This offer is not valid for patients who are eligible for free influenza vaccination under the Australian Government's "Immunise Australia Program", such as individuals 65 years of age or older.

Health & Beauty Influenza Vaccination Shot Vaccine

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1800bulkbill.com.au

closed Comments

  • c64 on 17/03/2013 - 08:39
    +4

    how is this different from any other gp? it is already free for the people that really need it. all it appears to be doing is generating $$$ for doctor in bulk billing charges

    • unity1 on 17/03/2013 - 08:47
      +4

      Unless you qualify for a free one under the Government's "Immunise Australia Program", then the medical centre can charge you what they like, but typically they charge between $10 to $20 just for the vaccine. You may then still have to pay a consultation fee on top of that if your Doctor does not bulk-bill.

      For example this Medical Centre is charging $22 for the Flu Injection http://dfmc.com.au/2013/03/08/flu-vaccine-2013/

      Those people that qualify for a free vaccine under the "Immunise Australia Program" can just go to their regular GP or any other GP.

      • Candour on 17/03/2013 - 08:53
        +1

        they abuse any free government offers to charge what they like.
        check with medicare what you are entitled to before you go and try to argue with the practice manager first before you even visit the centre. doctors are just workers and unlikely to research the terms. nurses give the injection. my doctor did not even know I was eligible as the age had dropped from 65+ to 60+

      • May4th on 17/03/2013 - 13:59

        Patients must first consult with a doctor at a participating centre who will advise you whether influenza vaccination is suitable for you.

        what does suitable mean? does that mean only those elderly, with co-morbidities and indigenous populations who would qualify for a free one anyway, or for everyone except those with contraindications? it's a bit vague

        • unity1 on 17/03/2013 - 14:48
          +1

          Those entitled to a free one can get them anywhere, this list of people includes:

          People aged 65 years and over
          Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from 15 years of age
          Pregnant women
          People over 6 months of age with one or more of the following conditions:
          heart disease;
          severe asthma
          chronic lung condition;
          chronic illness requiring medical follow-up or hospitalisation in the past year;
          diseases of the nervous system;
          impaired immunity; or
          diabetes
          Children aged 6 months to 10 years who are on long-term aspirin therapy

          This program is for anyone else not in the above group. The flu vaccine may not be suitable if you have a severe egg allergy. There are ofcourse other contraindications and that's between your doctor and yourself to discuss.

        • Oliver on 17/03/2013 - 17:10
          +1

          "what does suitable mean?"

          As a pharmacist, this simply means they'd want to check what your age is to determine which flu vaccination to give you. There are a few different brands these days and each has different age criteria. Some are only intended for 18-59 years olds due to lack of testing, whereas others can be from 3 years old and over etc..
          Other standard checks would include any sensitivities, allergies or reactions to previous flu vaccinations, other precautions and contraindications.

        • May4th on 17/03/2013 - 17:21

          yes that's usually what suitable means but i'm just wary of any cop-outs like "you are an adult and you don't need it" especially given it's almost advertising for a franchise of medical centres

        • Oliver on 17/03/2013 - 23:47

          "Patients must first consult with a doctor at a participating centre who will advise you whether influenza vaccination is suitable for you. You must have a current Medicare card."

          As long as you've got a medicare card you're fine. They're not trying to pull a bait and switch.

        • unity1 on 18/03/2013 - 09:55

          These people are supposed to be professionals, it won't be like dealing with HN.

    • pmupsinep on 17/03/2013 - 09:07
      +65

      If you can supply the gun and bullet I'd be happy to administer it…

        • Brick50 on 17/03/2013 - 14:25

          you are clearly someone who cry's every time they get a vaccine, Would you like me to come with you and hold you down?

          It's free, and it beats having to get it sometime and having to pay.

        • May4th on 17/03/2013 - 14:26
          +10

          there's a reason the government makes them free to those who actually need the vaccine like the elderly, those suffering from chronic illness and other high-risk populations while the average healthy adult would in all likelihood not need one (and hence, you have to pay) - however that will reduce the transmission of flu to those who are vulnerable.

          i'm not sure what you are trying to say with the little anecdote and i suggest you find out how the vaccines work. god forbid someone who actually need the vaccine would follow your scaremongering and die from influenza which is one of the leading causes of mortality in the elderly and those already sick from other chronic illnesses just because you probably heard from your mummy that vaccines are bad and government people are bad bad people. you are the one who needs to wake up and do some research yourself mate

          you are right the government don't care for the common folk. but what they do care about is money which means making sure the overall burden on health system stays as low as possible. do you have any idea how much it costs to keep 1 person in ICU/hospital bed for an indefinite period of time due to influenza or vaccine-related morbidities? the only reason it's PBS-listed is because there is an overall positive effect for the community

    • jong on 17/03/2013 - 11:07
      +1

      Because not everyone's afraid of needles?

      • sparkles on 17/03/2013 - 15:44

        I'm afraid of needles big time and even I get the fluvac. My local chemist does it for $10 administered by a nice nurse who puts up with my needle phobia drama.

        It's worked great over the years, especially when spending a lot of time on public transport, although last year I got as sick as a dog about two/three days later after getting it.

      • Speckled Jim on 18/03/2013 - 09:14

        Screw the needle!
        The preservatives used in vaccines is the bigger concern.

    • wharlie on 17/03/2013 - 11:37

      Luckily there are enough of us that get the shots (flu, immunization etc) to protect yourself and others from rampant infection. You should be encouraging others to get the shot, it is clearly in your own interest.

    • knackers on 17/03/2013 - 13:48
      +5

      flat-earthers, anti-vaccers , truthers, birthers, creationists, morons!

    • Doey21 on 17/03/2013 - 23:25

      HX925 do you also believe that cancer can be cured the power of flowers and herbs, and that the Big Pharma companies are paying out governments to suppress the truth?!

  • A3Australia on 17/03/2013 - 09:23
    +2

    until Stocks Last

    Surely you mean - "while stock lasts"?

    • unity1 on 17/03/2013 - 09:43

      Yes, just using their terminology.

      • [Deactivated] on 17/03/2013 - 10:22

        Usually the vaccines are kept in a fridge, so there may be a tendency to run out of supplies.

  • bluesuby09 on 17/03/2013 - 09:28
    +1

    According to Gov web site it is free for over 65's and people with co-morbities. Where does it say it has dropped the age to 60.

    • jong on 17/03/2013 - 10:58
      +31

      Well, you've
      * asked us to do more research
      * stated that the research is "biased", which contradicts your first point - why read it if it's wrong?

      Finally, you're confused "mercury" with "thiomersal"; which is like confusing "hydrogen" (a dangerous, highly-flammable gas) with water (a non-flammable liquid, essential to life, that contains hydrogen safely bonded to an oxygen atom).

      You've done all that in just three sentences, which makes you look a little nuts. That's why you got neg'ed.

      • hashtag7 on 17/03/2013 - 11:09
        -4

        Fair point, I could have worded it a little bit better. Gov website says that though: Thiomersal contains a small amount of mercury. Is that the same mercury?

        • muncan on 17/03/2013 - 11:26
          +2

          It's possible they mean powdered-down rocks from the planet Mercury. Which everyone knows gives you cancer. Probably :-P

        • OzzyBrak on 17/03/2013 - 13:57
          +3

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiomersal#Toxicology

          A few key points:
          *Its use as a vaccine preservative is controversial, and it is being phased out from routine childhood vaccines in the United States, the European Union, and a few other countries.
          *Few studies of the toxicity of thiomersal in humans have been performed.
          *Thiomersal is very toxic by inhalation, ingestion, and in contact with skin (EC hazard symbol T+), with a danger of cumulative effects. It is also very toxic to aquatic organisms and may cause long-term adverse effects in aquatic environments (EC hazard symbol N). In the body, it is metabolized or degraded to ethylmercury (C2H5Hg+) and thiosalicylate.
          *Unlike methylmercury, ethylmercury has not been found to bioaccumulate. The toxicity of ethylmercury is not well studied.

          So long story short, no one has really done much study on it, but just to be safe they don't like to give it to kids.

        • Duff5000 on 18/03/2013 - 10:49

          Mercury isn't really an issue any more.

          I am worried about the adjuvants that are used. Aluminium adjuvant in at least one study was linked to motor neuron death and implicated in ALS
          http://www.whale.to/vaccines/woolley.html.htm
          Edit: i should add this link was just something quick i could find discussing the study. The study has since been published and can be found online if you want to read it.

          They have recently found the h1n1 adjuvant in Europe has caused narcolepsy in a % of people.
          http://psychiatry.stanford.edu/narcolepsy/articles/Post-H1N1…

          @Jong I think likening thiomersal to water is a little over the top. Would you drink a glass of thiomersal? Ethylmercury is still dangerous, it doesn't bioaccumulate (which is good) but as someone else mentioned it hasn't been well studied. What makes it not a big problem is that it is used in pretty much trace levels.

    • spiritek on 17/03/2013 - 12:30
      +11

      Research done… did you do yours?
      The two recommended flu vaccinations in Australia DO NOT contain mercury (see listed ingredients):
      https://www.vaccineshop.com.au/support/CMIs/CMI_AV8000.pdf
      http://www.gsk.com.au/resources.ashx/vaccineproductschilddat…

      Also see attached for the list of vaccines that do and do not contain thiomersal (only two of them contain thiomersal)
      http://ncirs.edu.au/immunisation/fact-sheets/thiomersal-fact…

    • HX925 on 17/03/2013 - 14:12
      -8

      Bravo, the only logical comment. All the rest of you sheep can stroll into the slaughter house willingly. Enjoy.

      • May4th on 17/03/2013 - 14:16
        +7

        it's the 1% of population blind to all reason like you who makes the world a worse place for the other 99%

      • Consumer Sheep on 17/03/2013 - 20:25
        +1

        Baaa!

  • Super8Tab on 17/03/2013 - 10:00

    It seems that the list is very specific and selected medical centres, We are bulk-billing as well so how do we add our centre to the list ?

    • c64 on 17/03/2013 - 11:05

      yeah, it doesn't list all bulk billing doctors. it is probably only a list of doctors affiliated with the company. it doesn't list my local gp which bulk bills. and apparently my closest bulk billing doctor is on the other side of brisbane according to their list.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/03/2013 - 10:19

    Lots of local GPs will give the flu vaccine for free because they get around $35.60 from the medicare schedule fee.

    There is a major glut of GPs in metropolitan areas. It's the specialists that there are a shortage of and GPs in rural areas.

    Good deal, but you could probably negotiate a similar deal with any doctor in the metro areas.

    A good example is 0871 Alice Springs. Put that into the form on the website listed above and you will find there isn't anything in that area… Although, with private negotiation with your local GP, you too could receive a free flu shot. Furthermore, I'm not implying that there isn't a bulk billing medical centre in Alice Springs, although, some rural areas sadly don't have GPs that accept bulk billing.

  • cdaddy on 17/03/2013 - 11:00
    +16

    can officeworks price match this?

  • jturner on 17/03/2013 - 12:02
    +1

    This is just advertising for Primary Health Care Medical centres (biggest medical centre corp in Australia) and their Pathology and radiological services.

  • RohBoat on 17/03/2013 - 12:17
    -1

    Real men don't get the flu!

    • ejsteven on 17/03/2013 - 13:56
      +2

      Challenge accepted!

    • x d on 17/03/2013 - 23:22

      You haven't heard of the "MAN-FLU"??? :-)))

  • dmtdude on 17/03/2013 - 12:36

    Is there a limit on how many vaccinations you can get? I was thinking of putting some up on ebay.

  • MattyD on 17/03/2013 - 13:39
    +4

    Fully Sick!

  • kelea on 17/03/2013 - 13:48

    LOL - I typed in my postcode (Adelaide) and of the three options that came up, 2 are 350km+ away (in another state in fact). The first is 15km away - don't think I can be bothered.

    Hope this is useful for some.

  • Bretticus on 17/03/2013 - 13:50
    +1

    One per person?

    • SupeNintendoChalmers on 17/03/2013 - 14:01
      +4

      yeah, apparently sharing needles is frowned upon.

      • May4th on 17/03/2013 - 14:29
        +4

        that un-ozbargain!

  • [Deactivated] on 17/03/2013 - 14:50

    Is there a way you can be certain you will be getting the 2013 season influenza shot and not the 2012 season's batch. I asked last year and the doctor brushed it off as not being a huge issue while evading the initial question.

    • May4th on 17/03/2013 - 15:02
      +1

      it's not possible as they are made in one batch every year with an expiry date of 6-8 months. GP clinics and hospitals are required to throw them out after they expire. and you probably need a better GP :P

    • unity1 on 17/03/2013 - 15:07
      +1

      The 2012 batch would have expired and should have been discarded. Also I believe the year is printed on each individual PFS.

    • Oliver on 17/03/2013 - 23:52

      xbai and unity1 are correct. (This is what I can confirm from our yearly batches of flu vaccinations).
      Furthermore the 2013 ones have arrived in our pharmacy and they're significantly different in the strains they protect against compared to last year.

  • m0nkeycheese on 17/03/2013 - 14:53

    If you work for Bunnings they give them to you free if you want one.. Weird I know :/

    • sparkles on 17/03/2013 - 15:53
      +1

      A lot of work places do that. Voluntarily, of course. But basically they want to make sure you can't ring in sick with the "flu". You'd be better off paying for your own jab, and keeping that excuse up your sleeve LOL.

  • skyva on 17/03/2013 - 15:10

    I was told that the new seasons vaccine would not be ready until April. It makes me think that this stuff only has last years strains. The new strain this year is pretty bad so I will be having a vaccination in April with the new variants, but work provides it for free anyway.
    I would recommend it if it is the new strain. The manufacturer would do several batches I guess so just because it has not expired does not mean it includes the important new strains.

    • x d on 17/03/2013 - 15:40
      +2

      All flu vaccinations are marked to be expired the December of that year (ie. 2012 versions expired Dec 2012, and 2013 will expire Dec 2013). All 2012 flu vaccines should have been discarded already by all clinics. It is true that there is often variations of the strains contained in the vaccines every new year.

      If this promotion was just "for Primary Health Care Medical centres (biggest medical centre corp in Australia) and their Pathology and radiological services" (-jturner) then there may questions. I hope the clinics involved are using their own purchased stock to give (so they take a hit from the subsequent Medicare rebates) and not use the government supply stock (which taxpayers are funding). Also if you only see the nurse and not get a consultation with a doctor before you are jabbed then there may also be questions.

      • May4th on 17/03/2013 - 16:18

        that'd be a worry as nurses are not qualified on paper to assess whether a patient is suitable for a vaccine

        • x d on 17/03/2013 - 23:16

          Yes, if you do see a doctor, you are more than likely be given medical advice regarding the vaccination and its pros/cons. If not, you are more likely to be given the corporate's drive for vaccinations to get the Medicare rebates. This also brings up the medicare issues that unless seen by a doctor, Medicare (ie taxpayers) should not be charged for the vaccination. However Ozbargainers may not want to know that they would have to pay for the vaccination (as well as any nurses' fees). The only other way around this issue for these clinics is by the clinics having the services of nurse practitioners who can bill Medicare for the work.

      • A3Australia on 17/03/2013 - 21:23
        +1

        As jturner posted -

        This is just advertising for Primary Health Care Medical centres (biggest medical centre corp in Australia) and their Pathology and radiological services.

        The Domain Name 1800bulkbill.com.au
        was registered by IDAMENEO (NO 123) PTY LTD
        Registrant ID ACN 002 968 185
        Registrant Contact Email [email protected]

        This company owns Primary Health Care
        http://www.primaryhealthcare.com.au/IRM/ShowStaticCategory.a…

    • dr_ rusko on 17/03/2013 - 18:34

      the 2013 flu shot has been out since the end of february…

    • Oliver on 17/03/2013 - 23:54

      skyva we've received our order of 2013 flu vaccinations in our pharmacy a week or two ago.
      As you said, "The new strain this year is pretty bad so I will be having a vaccination in April with the new variants"
      That's a good idea because the main strains that hit the nortern hemisphere were different to the usual ones people were used to. They had a rough season and it's expected we will too.

  • wog_ta on 17/03/2013 - 16:32

    How much is delivery?

    • BALLE BALLE on 17/03/2013 - 16:38

      Sorry No Delivery Option but PICKUP available free LOLZ:)

  • HereYeeHereYee on 17/03/2013 - 19:13
    +1

    Real question here - could someone tell me the benefits of getting a flu shot?

    • muncan on 17/03/2013 - 23:29
      +1

      I preferred the first video

  • Oliver on 18/03/2013 - 00:00

    Just a post in regards to people's concerns about nurses giving flu jabs, compared with seeing a doctor first.
    A doctor has to prescribe the flu jab and then the doctor or nuse can give the jab itself.

    Alternatively a nurse practitioner is qualified to assess whether the vaccination is appropriate for you, prescribe the jab and then administer it.

    Nurse practitioners are a relatively new role in the allied health field.

    In my pharmacy this year we're doing a flu clinic in conjunction with a nurse practitioner. They will be present on the selected days to prescribe the flu vacc, I'll then dispense it and the nurse practitioner will then administer it.
    The benefit to patients is that they can pre book and get it all done in 5 mins. This is in comparison to the standard practice of going to their GP, getting a script, driving to the pharmacy, getting the vaccination dispensed, driving back to the GP for the jab (or going to one of these medical centres).

    • May4th on 18/03/2013 - 20:23

      I've seen GP practices where the script is given out by the GP but the patient is seen by a nurse who administers the shot. The patient walks out after injection+10min without seeing the doctor's face.

      • x d on 18/03/2013 - 22:15

        Most GP clinics should have a vaccine fridge and for the flu season would have ordered their own private flu vaccine (which can be obtained from medical supply companies) along with the usual travel vaccines. This should eliminate the need for a script to obtain a vaccine from a pharmacy, which would caused a great deal of delay even if the pharmacy is just next door (i.e. script handed in, processed by pharmacist with the required named sticker, and payment-and imagine if the pharmacist is busy with lots of scripts needing to be processed).

        If this is the first time someone is having the flu vaccine, I would imagine you would want to see a doctor for medical advice and have opportunities to ask private questions before the vaccination. This is likely to take more than 5 mins and should not involve just reading a piece of paper and signing a consent form. After this a practice nurse who is trained to give vaccination can take over and give the vaccine (given that the time spent to do the vaccination can be spent by the doctor catching up on seeing other patients).

        The only time when the doctor may not need to spend much time with the patient would be if the patient is well known to the doctor, has had repeated flu vaccines in the past without reactions, have no questions and just wants it done. The docotr/practice nurse should still check if the patient is unwell with a fever before admistering the vaccine.

        If you want to see the doctor before the vaccination, make sure you ask for it.

        • May4th on 20/03/2013 - 15:08

          that's all well and good but at this practice it's done more as a cost-cutting measure where the patient is billed for a consult without ever seeing the GP

  • unity1 on 18/03/2013 - 09:58

    How much are you charging for the flu vaccines?

    • sparkles on 18/03/2013 - 11:17

      Our local pharmacy does pretty much the same thing, it costs $10 but apparently is subsidised quite a bit by the pharmacy. I believe it's somewhat dearer to get it prescribed, collect it and then return to the doctor office for administration.

  • Sshanaz on 19/03/2013 - 20:29
    +2

    I just got free vaccination from Bankstown. They are using Vaxigrip and expiry date was 11/2013

    The stock from 2012 is definitely not being used.

  • [Deactivated] on 21/03/2013 - 01:37

    From my understanding although its not 2012 stock, someone mentioned that a new batch could be released in April containing different strains to what is currently being used. So is there a way to check the new strains I should be getting?

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