Foster and Toora Medical Centres

20/05/2026

DIPTHERIA VACCINATIONS

We have had a number of worried phone calls from patients asking if they need a diptheria vaccination.

It concerning to all of us that there has been an outbreak of diptheria - a *vaccine preventable infection* largely not seen in Australia any more - in the NT, WA and Qld.

Vaccinated individuals in our region remain very low risk of catching this nasty infection. Vaccination for diptheria has been a routine part of childhood vaccine schedules in Australia for decades and is highly effective. Many of you will have had a booster when you received a tetanus or whooping cough booster.

Unvaccinated individuals and those travelling to high risk areas should consider reveiwing their vaccination status accordingly.

For others, please, we encourage you to check your own vaccination status by accessing your my gov account and vaccination record. There is no urgent need to call the clinic and ask about your vaccination record and your GP can do this at your next routine appointment if you cannot locate it yourself.

Finally this is a great reminder that vaccines save lives and keep our loved ones out of hospital. If you’re not sure, ask your doctor at your next appointment what you’re due for.

Once a major cause of childhood deaths, diphtheria was largely eliminated through vaccination. Health authorities say falling immunity may now be helping the disease spread again.

24/04/2026

NAIL AND FOOT CARE AT FMC

We are aware of the major gap in available nail cutting services in South Gippsland and Foster in particular. We continue to try to work with CHC and other community groups to build capacity in this area. Having cut toe nails for HUNDREDS of people for many years our beloved nurse Sue Brown has decided to put down the podiatry instruments and we thank her very much for her service in this field.

We are pleased to announce that we have remodelled the service and RN Kisarne - who many will already know from our treatment room - will be picking up the foot clinic at FMC. We thank her very much for responding to the community need in this way.

First clinic will be April 28th 2026. Unfortunately the service no longer meets requirements for Medicare billing and there will be a charge of $50 for the clinic which remains less than other similar private offerings.

Please contact reception if you would like to book in. Appointments are required.

21/04/2026

RSV VACCINES FOR ADULTS

This week the federal government announced from May 15 2026 it will provide the RSV vaccine to eligible adults (those over 75 and ATSI people over 60).

Many of you will be familiar with RSV due to it commonly causing nasty chest infections in infants and young children.

In 2025, RSV was the third most common cause of older adults being hospitalised with a respiratory viral infection, after influenza and Covid.

*Please note that we do not yet know when we will receive vaccines or how many we will receive. We will continue to update the community when we know more and ask that you give us time to receive more information in the coming days before we can offer bookings.

Information about RSV vaccination, who it is recommended for, and how and where to get vaccinated. If you are eligible, you can get the maternal RSV vaccine for free under the National Immunisation Program.

08/04/2026

GUARDASIL VACCINATIONS

Did you know that with the introduction of the HPV vaccine countries in some parts of the world are seeing a dramatic reduction in cases of cervical cancer - such that we might eliminate it?! Did you know that HPV can also affect men and that vaccinating boys and men can also help us protect women from HPV?

The vaccine is so effective we now only need to give a single dose to protect most people.

If you or your loved one are under 25 and have not been vaccinated but would like to be, you are eligible for a free vaccine. If you are over 25 you can still access the vaccine via a private a script. Please give FMC a call and chat to our nurses or doctors about getting vaccinated.