This winter season it is important to protect yourself and your family from influenza (flu), COVID-19, and pneumococcal disease.
Vaccination is your best protection against severe illness from these infections especially, for people who are at high-risk.
What Are These Illnesses?
- COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus. It is important to be aware that COVID-19 continues to circulate in the community and can cause severe illness in vulnerable groups.
- Flu is worse than a cold. It can make you very sick and send people to hospital. Flu spreads more in winter.
- Pneumococcal disease is caused by bacteria. It can cause bad infections like pneumonia (lung infection), meningitis (brain infection), and blood infection, particularly in older adults and people with chronic conditions.
How to Stay Well
Your best protection against these illnesses is to receive your flu, COVID-19, and pneumococcal vaccines.
In addition, you should:
- Practice good hygiene – wash your hands often
- Stay home if you feel sick
- Get help early if you start to feel very unwell
Symptoms to Watch For
There are many symptoms for Flu, COVID-19, and Pneumococcal Disease.
- Fever (feeling hot)
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Headache
- Feeling tired
- Sore muscles
- Vomiting or diarrhoea (more common in kids)
If you have any flu-like symptoms, you should take a test for COVID-19 straight away, even if you are up-to-date with your vaccinations.
This will help you get appropriate support and treatment if needed. If your test is negative, you should still stay at home until your symptoms have cleared.
If your symptoms become severe, please consult your GP or call Triple Zero (000) straight away.
If you test positive for COVID-19, you can experience the following:
- Fever
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Trouble breathing
If you have any flu-like symptoms, you should take a test for COVID-19 straight away, even if you are up-to-date with your vaccinations.
This will help you get appropriate support and treatment if needed. If your test is negative, you should still stay at home until your symptoms have cleared.
If your symptoms become severe, please consult your GP or call Triple Zero (000) straight away.
If you test positive for pneumococcal disease, you can experience the following:
- Fever
- Cough with phlegm
- Chest pain
- Trouble breathing
- Feeling confused (especially in older people)
- Bad headache or stiff neck
Some people recover easily while others get very sick. If your symptoms become severe, please consult your GP or call Triple Zero (000) straight away.
Where to Get Vaccines
You can get your vaccines at:
- Your doctor (GP)
- Pharmacies (chemists)
- Aboriginal Medical Services
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Some people can get free vaccines.
Want to Learn More?
You can learn more about how to best prepare for the upcoming winter season here.
You can also find out more about these vaccinations, NSW Health and Healthdirect offer a range of information and translated resources:
COVID-19 vaccine
Flu vaccine
Pneumococcal vaccine
You can also contact healthdirect for free 24-hour support on 1800 022 222.
Additional Resources
You can get easy-to-read information about flu and COVID-19 vaccines in different languages here:
There are easy resources made for Aboriginal people, with videos and posters about:
Find out more: Aboriginal Health Resources – NSW Health