AstraZeneca vaccine approved in Australia

Last Updated: 26-02-2021

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved the AstraZeneca vaccine for use in Australia. 
Initial supplies of the vaccine will be imported into Australia from overseas before doses are manufactured locally.
"Australians can be Read More...

No new COVID-19 cases in Auckland

Last Updated: 26-02-2021

New Zealand may have avoided a serious outbreak of COVID-19 after fresh testing revealed no new community cases of the virus. 
 More than 15,000 tests were taken on Monday after three family members tested positive to the virus on the weekend.& Read More...

Top End vaccine rollout ready to go

Last Updated: 26-02-2021

Health workers and staff at the Howard Springs COVID-19 quarantine facility will be among the first Northern Territorians vaccinated against the virus. 
The first Pfizer vaccine jabs are expected to be administered next week although which day Read More...

NSW vaccinates more than 5500 people

Last Updated: 26-02-2021

More than 5500 people have received the COVID-19 jab in NSW in the first three days of the state's vaccine roll-out. 
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Thursday she was "very pleased" with the state's progress.
But she Read More...

WHO backs use of AstraZeneca vaccine

Last Updated: 26-02-2021

GENEVA, DPA - The World Health Organisation recommends using the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 despite recent reports that raised questions about its effectiveness.     The UN health agency issued its guidance on Wednesday, d Read More...

Paid on par with cleaners: the broader issue affecting the quality of aged care

Last Updated: 26-02-2021

The aged care royal commission is due to hand down its final report on February 26, and it will be tabled in parliament in the days after that.   The long-term sustainability of the aged-care workforce and the financial health of the se Read More...

10 lessons from the virus crisis

Date of Posting: 26-02-2021

How some rich countries failed, and why - study Australia ranked eighth in the world ‘s Top 10 countries to manage their COVID-19 response well, with New Zealand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, Cyprus, Rwanda and Iceland ahead in an in-depth stu Read More...

Concerns that "anxiety-provoking" prenatal testing is becoming too complex

Date of Posting: 24-02-2021

As non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) becomes more advanced, questions of informed consent, accuracy and ethical concerns have become more complicated for clinicians, and more distressing for parents, according to an article published in the MJA. Read More...

What's in the way of quality antenatal care for women in West and Central Africa

Last Updated: 17-02-2021

Globally, nearly 300,000 women die from pregnancy-related causes each year. Most of these deaths are in the low-income countries of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The leading causes of maternal mortality include severe bleeding, hyperten Read More...

Aged care providers want sector overhauled

Last Updated: 16-02-2021

Transforming the aged sector so older Australians receive appropriate support and care is the driving force behind a new industry alliance urging for reform. 
 The Australian Aged Care Collaboration alliance represents more than 1000 organis Read More...

Improving social health for people living with dementia

Last Updated: 16-02-2021

Researchers at UNSW Sydney’s Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) have pinpointed mechanisms to reduce loneliness and improve social participation and belonging for people with dementia.  Social connection is a basic human need and i Read More...

Link between hearing loss and dementia uncovered for the first time in Australia

Last Updated: 15-02-2021

New research has uncovered an Australian-first association between the impact of hearing loss on cognitive abilities and an increased risk for dementia. In Australia, hearing loss affects 74% of people aged over 70. International studies estimate Read More...

One jab OK for those who had virus: France

Last Updated: 13-02-2021

PARIS, DPA - People who have survived a coronavirus infection should be able to make do with only one vaccination dose because their body will retain immunity memory, France's top health agency says.     That means a single vacc Read More...

Vic goes into lockdown to stop third wave

Date of Posting: 13-02-2021

MELBOURNE, AAP - Victoria will enter a "short, sharp circuit-breaker" lockdown for five days amid fears the highly infectious UK strain of coronavirus has spread in the community.     Premier Daniel Andrews says the state Read More...

Vic lockdown prompts mental health concern

Last Updated: 13-02-2021

MELBOURNE, AAP - The return of a strict lockdown to Victoria has prompted concerns for the mental health of those who have already struggled through lengthy restrictions in 2020.     Premier Daniel Andrews announced a five-day " Read More...

China has fewest virus cases in 5 months

Date of Posting: 12-02-2021

BEIJING, RAW - China has reported the fewest number of new COVID-19 cases in more than five months after a combination of robust countermeasures helped stamp out a new wave of the disease in the northeast that emerged last month.     Read More...

Should GPs charge for bandages or dressings?

Last Updated: 12-02-2021

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt recently ruled out GP patients having to pay for bandages and dressings, despite a major Medicare review recommending it. We won’t be putting in place extra charges for patients. I am ruling that o Read More...

What's the difference between mutations, variants and strains? A guide to COVID terminology

Last Updated: 12-02-2021

Living through a global pandemic over the past year has seen all of us expanding our vocabularies. We now understand terms like PPE, social distancing and contact tracing.[subscribe]   But just when perhaps we thought we had a hand Read More...

Older Australians get access to pandemic advice with launch of multilingual support line

Date of Posting: 11-02-2021

Older Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds are set to receive tailored access to important COVID-19 health advice and aged care information as the Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing launches the new multiling Read More...

Stillbirth Foundation funds major research projects

Date of Posting: 10-02-2021

A round of funding granted by the Stillbirth Foundation Australia will enable two ground-breaking research projects, aimed at ending preventable stillbirths, to commence. The first grant will support a world-first study into the endometrial enviro Read More...

Parents urged to increase children's activity levels to protect their mental health

Last Updated: 10-02-2021

The events of 2020 have significantly impacted the mental health of young Australians, prompting a reminder from the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) that physical activity is a crucial part of the solution. Research suggests that childr Read More...

Planning on running a marathon? A sports dietitian's advice

Last Updated: 10-02-2021

Did you make a New Year’s resolution to run a marathon? Or perhaps you’ve conquered a marathon and want to take on an even longer event?   Your diet is crucial in long-distance running. If you don’t eat the right foods Read More...

Loss of muscle mass among elderly can lead to falls

Last Updated: 10-02-2021

Older adults are at much higher risk of death from COVID-19 than their younger counterparts, but many also face another, less recognized health risk associated with the pandemic: loss of muscle mass. This loss is one of the primary reasons fo Read More...

Physio Inq's plans to tackle burnout within the health care workforce

Date of Posting: 10-02-2021

Physio Inq, an award-winning Australian allied health provider has announced plans to tackle therapist burnout and accelerate their national expansion by appointing Doug Devellerez to People Development and Experience Manager. Devellerez began his Read More...

Scientists use 3D printer to print 'bone' with living cells

Date of Posting: 09-02-2021

3D printers may one day become a permanent fixture of the operating theatre after UNSW scientists showed they could print bone-like structures containing living cells. Scientists from UNSW Sydney have developed a ceramic-based ink that may allow s Read More...

South Africa halts AstraZeneca jabs

Date of Posting: 08-02-2021

JOHANNESBURG, RAW - South Africa will suspend use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shot after data showing it gives minimal protection against mild to moderate infection caused by the country's dominant coronavirus variant.     Hea Read More...

UK vaccinates 12 million against virus

Date of Posting: 08-02-2021

LONDON, DPA - More than 12 million people in Britain have been vaccinated against COVID-19, latest figures show.     The government is aiming to offer a vaccine to all 15 million of the country's most vulnerable by mid-February, Read More...

Three quarters of healthy older Australians use complementary medicines

Date of Posting: 07-02-2021

A new study has revealed that 75% of healthy Australians aged over 70 years report using complementary medicines either daily or occasionally – sparking concerns over the marketing and promotion of these medicines, and renewed calls for tighter Read More...

Positive Mood Program for pandemic-related distress

Date of Posting: 06-02-2021

The Black Dog Institute is seeking 250 participants to trial an online Positive Mood Program to reduce pandemic-related distress. The program, funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and backed by the World Health Organi Read More...

Doctors must now prescribe drugs using their chemical name, not brand names

Date of Posting: 05-02-2021

From February 1, when you receive a prescription in Australia, it will list the name of the medication’s active ingredient rather than the brand name. So, for example, instead of receiving a prescription for Ventolin, your script will s Read More...

Quality of care - not setting - key to wound healing

Date of Posting: 05-02-2021

People receiving evidence-based wound care at home for venous leg ulcers achieved similar healing rates to those attending a specialist wound care clinic, new research shows. Bolton Clarke Senior Research Fellow Rajna Ogrin said while community ho Read More...

Eating disorders result in significant financial impact on carers

Date of Posting: 05-02-2021

Anorexia Nervosa has not only a detrimental impact on the people who suffer from the eating disorder, but often a significant financial impact on their carers, new research from the University of Otago, Christchurch, reveals. As part of the Christ Read More...

After a hailstorm there's always a rainbow: A story of winning against all odds

Last Updated: 03-02-2021

At 25 years of age, most young men are settling into their studies or their careers with sights set on a bright future. For Dylan Theuerkauf, this is no different. What lies in Dylan’s past however is an incredible story of overcoming life c Read More...

We analysed almost 500,000 police reports of domestic violence

Last Updated: 02-02-2021

Rare access to almost half a million police reports of domestic violence has revealed a hidden picture of mental health issues in perpetrators and victims. This is academics’ first attempt in the world to use computers to mine the text Read More...

New heart condition drug listed on PBS

AAP | Date of Posting: 01-02-2021

The federal government is subsidising a new drug for Australians suffering with a rare, fatal heart condition through Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).     From February 1, Uptravi (selexipag) will be PBS listed for the first ti Read More...

Portugal struggles, China infections spike

Last Updated: 01-02-2021

Austria and Germany have stepped in to help Portugal with its coronavirus crisis, while infections in China have spiked to their highest level since last March.     Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Sunday said that the Alpine n Read More...

ICU Nurse's experience working during the COVID-19 pandemic

Last Updated: 01-02-2021

My name is Bronwyn Picton, otherwise known as Bron. I have been working with the Rural Locum Assistance Program (Rural LAP) as an ICU Nurse now for almost 10 years. My story today is about my experience working during COVID-19, the dilemmas of cro Read More...

Productivity Commission health report leaves some big questions unanswered

Date of Posting: 01-02-2021

The Productivity Commission released the health section of its annual Report on Government Services, bringing together a range of data on hospitals, primary care, ambulance services and mental health care in Australia.   Comprising more Read More...

78% of Australian healthcare workers received new technology during COVID-19 to combat high demand

Date of Posting: 01-02-2021

The immense impact of COVID-19 on the healthcare sector has led to over 78% of Australian healthcare workers being issued with new technologies, including mobile devices, to support their duties during the pandemic. Highlighting the value of these Read More...

Global demand for cancer surgery set to surge

Date of Posting: 01-02-2021

A new modelling study led by UNSW predicts demand for cancer surgery will rise by 52 per cent within two decades, with low-income countries bearing the greatest burden. Public health researchers, led by UNSW Sydney, have estimated the number of ca Read More...