Appointments are made via the online booking portal. Your employer will provide a QR code and/or URL to access the online booking portal when available. A unique Organisation Code will also be provided to you by your employer, and you will be prompted to enter this into the portal when you book your appointment.
Yes, a confirmation email will be received at the time of booking and a reminder email 24 hours before the appointment (unless their appointment is within 24 hours). If a booking confirmation is not received, employees should check their junk or spam folder.
Yes, you can modify or cancel your appointment by calling the Pharmacy you have made your booking with directly. You will receive a new email confirmation with the updated booking details.
Employees should cancel or modify their booking at their earliest convenience via the online booking portal. If the booking time has already passed, they will simply need to create a new appointment. There is no penalty to employees or workplaces if a booking is missed or rescheduled.
Participating community pharmacies in the selected location will be listed on the booking portal.
As stated in the Guild’s Privacy Policy, all data relating to this Program will be stored securely. Data will be stored for the sole purpose of this Program and will not be disclosed to any third parties unless you express consent. Only relevant personnel from The Pharmacy Guild of Australia and your employer will have access to such data.
For clinical enquiries, please contact your participating pharmacist. You can find the pharmacy’s contact details on the online booking portal or in your confirmation email. For any other enquiries, please contact The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, on 13GUILD or email info@guildcorporatehealth.com.au
Unlike a conventional onsite flu clinic, our program offers employees:
The period of peak influenza circulation in Australia typically occurs between June and September, and it is recommended that vaccination occurs before the influenza season starts. Advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) may change slightly from year to year, but vaccination usually commences in April when vaccine stock becomes available.
Participating community pharmacies in their selected location will be listed on the booking portal.
The pharmacy will ask for proof of identity, which may include photo ID.
Vaccinations will be given by a qualified pharmacist who has completed an accredited vaccination training program. All vaccinating pharmacists hold a current First Aid and CPR certificate and a certificate in anaphylaxis management. The pharmacist will administer the vaccine in accordance with the Australian Immunisation Handbook and the standards applicable in the relevant state or territory. Pharmacists are experienced immunisation providers and have been vaccinating in Australia since 2014.
The Guild provides regular reports to show who has been vaccinated. If the employee has consented, a record of the immunisation will also have been uploaded to the Australian Immunisation Record (AIR), for future reference. However, if the employee wishes to keep a personal record of their vaccination, they can ask the pharmacist for a Record of Vaccination.
Influenza (the flu) is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory tract. It spreads from person to person through the air by coughing or sneezing or by direct contact with the virus on other surfaces (e.g. people’s hands, hard surfaces). Symptoms of influenza are more severe than those of the common cold and can result in days off work and possible hospitalisation and death. Symptoms may include tiredness, high fever, chills, headache, coughing, sneezing, running nose, poor appetite and muscle aches.1
All influenza vaccines currently available in Australia are associated with a very low incidence of side effects in adults. Vaccines, like all medicines in Australia, must pass stringent safety testing before being approved for use by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.1
Annual vaccination offers effective protection against influenza. While it does not offer 100% protection, vaccination does decrease your chance of getting influenza and also reduces the severity of the symptoms if you do catch the virus.2. Getting vaccinated also protects those around you, including pregnant women, babies and young children, older people and people with certain chronic health conditions.
Yes. Annual vaccination is recommended as immunity from influenza vaccination does not last longer than one season. The composition of the vaccine changes each year to protect against the most recent influenza virus strains.1
As the influenza season normally starts in June, with the peak usually falling around August, vaccinating from April allows individuals to develop immunity before transmission of influenza is commonly at its highest.1
There are very few people who are unable to receive the flu vaccination, it is important that you discuss your medical history and current medications with your pharmacist or other trusted health professional to assess whether the flu vaccination is suitable for you.
The strain of circulating flu virus changes from year to year and can even drift during the same season. Because of this change, the composition of the vaccine is updated each year.
Pharmacists vaccinating as part of the Guild Program use only the most current vaccines available, which is one of the reasons appointments are not available until late March or early April when vaccines for the upcoming season are released by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Information for the current influenza vaccine composition for Australia can be found on the TGA Website.
Like with any medication, some people can experience mild side effects from the vaccine. Side effects may include: pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site, low grade fever, headache or muscle aches, tiredness and generally feeling unwell. Most side effects are short- lived (6-12 hours), however, you may also experience mild influenza-like symptoms for up to 48 hours as your immune system responds to the vaccine. It is rare for a severe allergic reaction to occur.2 If you feel unwell after your vaccination, please see you pharmacist or doctor.
No vaccine is 100% effective, however, there is much evidence to show that the influenza vaccine provides a good level of protection against the virus in healthy people.2 The ability of the influenza vaccine to protect you depends on numerous factors such as your age and health status, as well as how similar the ingredients of the vaccine are compared to the seasonal influenza virus to which you may be exposed.3 It is important to remember that even when the viruses are not 100% matched, the vaccine can still offer protection and prevent influenza-related complications (e.g. medical complications or hospitalisation).4
No. The influenza vaccine cannot give you the flu as there is no live influenza virus in the vaccine.1, 2
The influenza vaccination is administered into the muscle at the top of the arm, the deltoid muscle.2
Yes. Vaccination is highly recommended even if you have had influenza before. There are many different strains of the influenza virus that change from year to year, so it is difficult to build immunity without a vaccination.4