Priceline Pharmacy Bairnsdale is stepping up its role in community healthcare, positioning itself as a local vaccination hub offering a broad range of immunisation services beyond the traditional flu shot.
Pharmacists at the store say the focus is on accessibility, convenience and informed care, with patients able to walk in, speak directly with a qualified health professional, and receive vaccinations in one visit.
The pharmacy provides a full suite of immunisations, including influenza, COVID-19 boosters, whooping cough, shingles, pneumococcal and travel vaccines.
It is also a registered National Immunisation Program provider, meaning eligible patients can access a range of government-funded vaccines free of charge.
Services are available for patients from five years of age, while families can also access the intranasal, needle-free flu vaccine for children aged 2–17, which has proven popular with parents seeking an alternative to injections.
Pharmacists say the aim is to make vaccination as simple and accessible as possible, with trained staff available out the front of the pharmacy to answer questions and provide advice on the spot.
From May 15, Priceline Pharmacy Bairnsdale will also offer the newly added Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccination under the National Immunisation Program.
The vaccine will be free for those most at risk of severe illness, including adults aged 75 and over, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 60 and over.
RSV can cause serious respiratory complications in older adults, particularly ahead of winter.
The pharmacy is also encouraging locals to check their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) immunisation status, following recent measles cases in Victoria.
Anyone born after 1966 is advised to ensure they have received two doses, with records able to be checked and vaccines administered if required.
Priceline Pharmacy Bairnsdale says the expansion of services reflects a broader shift towards community-based healthcare delivery.
The message, they say, is simple – protection, advice and vaccination are available locally, without the need for an appointment or a long wait.
