Funded FLU vaccines available from Monday 3/4/23 – book a Nurse appointment for this (unless seeing your GP for an appointment, can be given same time).
Covid vaccine, and Covid boosters (bivalent) available for adults (12 years+) from1/03/23 – book a Nurse appointment NOTE must be 6 months after the last Covid booster, and 6 months after having had Covid19( see more below).
Bexseromeningococcal vaccine will be part of the routine National Immunisation Schedule at the 3 months and 5 months immunisation events (primary doses) followed by a (booster dose) at the 12 months event.
All children who are aged 5 years or younger on 1 March 2023, will also be eligible for funded Bexsero vaccine as part of a catch-up programme.
It will also be funded for people aged 13 to 25 years who are entering into or in their first year of specified close-living situations.
Covid vac. more info……
This is part of the Government’s plan to keep Kiwis safe and take pressure off our health system.
The new bivalent vaccine will replace the existing Pfizer booster and is considered likely to be more effective against Omicron subvariants. Bivalent vaccines work by combining 2 strains of a virus, which prompts the body to create antibodies against both strains, providing a greater level of protection.
People at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 will also be able to receive an additional booster, regardless of how many doses they have previously had.
As well as broadening the criteria from April, from 1 March, anyone currently eligible for a COVID-19 booster will be able to get the new bivalent vaccine.
Pfizer Covid19 vaccines will be available at MGP again from next Wednesday 14/12/22 after a short break. If you have been vaccine hesitant, or nervous and would like to lie down for the vaccination, we can accommodate your needs in the privacy of our clinical treatment room. Check if you are due to have your second booster, especially if you have put it off for 3 months due to having Covid, to ensure you are up-to-date in this season of mingling and jingling with the current upsurge in cases. Please phone to make a Nurse appointment for your Covid19 vaccination, or to check whether you are due a booster
■ ORDER YOUR REPEAT SCRIPTS ■ SAVE YOUR FAMILY DOCTOR INITIATIVE ■ MANAGE MY HEALTH PORTAL
…. Order your repeats scripts before Christmas – please do it as soon as possible. Support Primary care with the ‘Save Your Family Doctor’ initiative. A new portal ‘Manage My Health’ is coming soon.
■ ORDER YOUR REPEAT SCRIPTS Now that December has arrived, it really does feel like the festive season is upon us all. We know that this is a busy time of year for everyone with end of school activities, functions and deadlines to meet. However, with the holidays fast approaching, we suggest that you think ahead and check that you have enough prescription medication to see you through. Please order any repeat prescriptions as soon as possible, via the patient portal or by phoning in, to avoid pre-Christmas congestion. If it’s time for your next check-up, or it will be due during the holidays, please think about booking for this soon as appointment slots before Christmas are filling up fast!
Appointments
As with many businesses this year, it has had its challenges and frustrations. We are sure you have all seen recent media coverage of the significant issues facing the health system. This is of course affecting general practice as much as other sectors with workforce shortages, underfunding and increasing workloads. As a result, people are waiting longer to see their family doctor as well, as increased times to be seen in outpatient clinics and even many private specialist are booked out until April 2023. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be any support coming our way anytime soon and this is putting essential family doctor services at risk. These things are out of our control so please be patient, we are trying our hardest to deliver the best service we can within the current constraints. Our GP Owner’s organisation GenPro has launched a campaign called Save Your Family Doctor to highlight the threat to essential frontline services and the impact it is having on our patients. If you would like to add your support and help to send the Government a strong message please sign the petition
We will soon be moving our patient portal to Manage My Health. This will add in more features and ease of communication including online bookings, repeat prescription requests and access to test results via your computer or mobile phone. We will be sending more information to our patients on the transition to this before the end of the year.
OTHER NEWS
Old Notes
We are having a bit of a spring clean and, as part of this, we are sorting out old paper notes which are no longer required. Clinical records have been computerised for many years now so these old files are no longer relevant. You may be contacted soon and asked if you would like to collect your old hard copy notes.
Staff
Recently we welcomed Rachel who joins Annette and Denise as part of our practice nursing team. Our lovely senior nurse Annette has now been with us for 10 years and we would like to acknowledge what a wonderful team leader she is and we are very fortunate to have her running such a high calibre team.
However, we are sad to be losing our receptionist Amanda as she is returning to Australia to be closer to family. Amanda has been with us for three years and has been invaluable over a very challenging time. We send our very best wishes and we will all certainly miss her. Although Emily and Rachel have joined Denise (yes, we now have two Rachels and Denises) on reception, we have not yet been able to find a replacement for Amanda, so please be patient and understanding when contacting the practice as our reception team will be under a bit of pressure.
Meadowbank General Practice Holiday Opening Hours:
With another exhausting year behind us our practice team will be taking a break over the Christmas New Year period.
The Practice will close from Friday 23th December 2022 @ 12pm
Normal business hours will resume on Monday 9thth January 2023 8.30am – 5.00pm
Please note that some of our doctors and nurses will still be on leave after this date.
If you are an enrolled patient with this practice and need healthcare when we are closed, please call our usual practice phone number (09) 521 5128 to speak to a registered nurse.
If you need a virtual consultation, we recommend CareHQ. CareHQ provides urgent and booked appointments with a real GP from 7am-7pm, 7 days per week. For more information, or to book, visit www.carehq.co.nz
If you have a medical emergency, please dial 111.
The closest accident and medical centre (A&M) to this practice is: White Cross Urgent Care, 110 Lunn Ave, Mt Wellington
IF YOU HAVE MISSED STARTING, OR COMPLETING THESE VACCINES – 2 OR 3 DOSES (AGE DEPENDENT)
Gardasil®9 vaccine is funded on the National Immunisation Schedule for all aged 9 years to under 27 years. Gardasil 9 covers four human papillomaviruses (HPVs) plus an additional five types known to cause approximately 20% of cervical cancers (HPV 31, 33, 45, 52, 58).
The vaccine is designed to protect men and women from HPV infection that can cause genital warts, precancerous cell changes and cancer in the throat, cervical cancer and anal, vaginal, vulval or penile cancers.
All students leaving home to go to University for the first time
Immunisation against Meningococcal disease
Who should receive meningococcal vaccination?
Menactra (The Vaccine for strains A, C, W and Y) is recommended and funded for Individuals aged 13–25 years inclusively who are entering within the next three months, or are in their first year, of living in boarding school hostels, tertiary education halls of residence, military barracks, or prisons
The Vaccine for strain B (Bexsero) is unfunded – 2 doses, minimum 4 weeks apart, cost $180.00 per dose
BOTH VACCINES are recommended to cover the strains that circulate in NZ.
NZ General Practice has been mobilised to unite in getting help with underfunding, workforce shortage and increased workload. This link gives you more information and a link to petition government. Thankyou for participating- Team at MGP
Even though the Covid ‘traffic light’ system has ended, as a health provider, it is still a requirement for everyone to wear a mask if they visit the practice.
If you have coughs/colds/viral illness/diarrhoea/close contact, please do not come on site. But please book a phone or video consult. Our doctors and nurses can then work with you on best process and we do have the side-lane access to see people in their cars or in our back room, with fresh air, if needed.
As always we are trying to ensure we keep our vulnerable patients safe and our staff able to work.
Very valuable but note funding has changed as below:-
Almost everyone is at risk of shingles because they are likely to have been exposed to chickenpox, even if they have no history of clinical chickenpox or chickenpox vaccination. Following chickenpox infection, the virus lies dormant and may re-emerge many years later as shingles. Shingles most commonly affects older adults or people of any age with a weakened immune system.
FUNDED VACCINE
One dose of Zostavax® is indicated for the prevention of shingles. It can be given to patients who have previously had shingles.
One dose of Zostavax is funded for adults aged 65 years.(ie from your 65th birthday until the day before you turn 66)
The catch-up programme for people aged 66–80 years ended on the 31 December 2021. So these are no longer funded.
Funded vaccine doses are only available through general practice.
NON-FUNDED VACCINE
Two doses of Shingrex® are indicated for the prevention of shingles. It can be given to patients who have previously had shingles.
Shingrix is available for people aged 50 years and over.
Shingrix is a 2-dose course.
It needs to be ordered in so please speak to the Practice Nurse for information, and to place an order.
FLU vaccinations are well underway – please book online via ConnectMed or phone Reception to make an appointment. No walk-in flu clinics this year, again due to Covid-19 appointment spacing.
Alternatively, if you have an onsite appointment, you can take the opportunity to have your FLU vaccine at the same.
Medsafe has approved the use of Pfizer booster doses for rangatahi aged 16 and 17, from today onwards.
For this age group (16 and 17 year olds), an interval of at least six months is required after completion of a primary course (for most people, this is two doses).
As with all COVID-19 vaccinations, at least a three-month interval is required post-COVID-19 infection.
Uni-students: 2nd Meningitis vaccine
Bexsero vaccinations for Uni students potentially coming home in their holidays – please remember to let the Nurse know ASAP if you are wanting your 2nd Bexsero meningitis vaccination while in Auckland as these vaccines need to be ordered in and will need 1-2 weeks’ notice.
Previous info from January below…
Check your Uni enrolment packs for required and recommended vaccines.
Adolescents and young adults aged 13–25 years inclusive who will be living or are currently living in close proximity to others e.g., a boarding school hostel or university hall of residence, military barracks or prison (group accommodation), or long-term institutional care.
Non-funded (but recommended) Meningitis B vaccine: Bexsero
