The 2018/19 influenza vaccine is now available from Kilmacud Medical Centre. If you are over 65 or suffer from any chronic illness you should consider getting the vaccine. The vaccines is free if you have a medical card.

Another “at risk” group who should have the flu vaccine are pregnant women. Pregnant women are more likely to get complications due to changes in their heart and lung function. They are also more likely to be admitted to hospital and the Intensive Care Unit.

Getting flu in pregnancy may also lead to premature birth, lower birth weight and even stillbirth. There is evidence that the vaccine reduces the rate of stillbirth by over 50%. Infants under the age of 6 months have the highest rate of hospitalisation and death from influenza.

The vaccine itself does not contain any active virus and so contrary to popular myth it is not possible to contract influenza infection from the vaccine.If you are registered with the practice just phone us on 01-2881550 for an appointment to have the vaccine. .

A new virus called Zika virus has been spreading rapidly across South America and now poses a significant threat to travellers to there. Brazil, Mexico and a number of Caribbean countries are affected by the outbreak. The virus is contracted through mosquito bites and although the infection itself tends to be mild and usually only lasts 2 to 7 days it has significant complications particularly for women who are pregnant or who might become pregnant. The main risks appear to be to unborn children where it is thought to cause stillbirth and early neonatal deaths. It has also been linked to a condition called microcephaly in babies which leaves them with significant physical and intellectual disabilities.

As there is no known cure of Zika virus travellers to affected areas need to take precautions to prevent mosquito bites.  If you are intending travelling to Africa, South East Asia, the Caribbean or South America over the next few months please make an appointment to discuss your risk and preventative steps with us. Further information on the virus can be obtained by clicking here.

If you are a patient of the practice and happen to have Epilepsy, we will be in touch with you over the coming months inviting you to come in for a visit. At the visit we will be reviewing your medications and the control of your Epilepsy. If you are already attending a specialist and have had this done within the last year then this will not be necessary. This review is in keeping with best international guidelines on the management of Epilepsy and is part of our practice improvement programme for 2014/2015.

There is a lot of concern about the outbreak of Ebola virus in west Africa and the risks of spread to Ireland. Currently the risk to Irish Citizens is low unless you have been travelling in one of the affected countries and come into direct contact with a person or animal infected with the disease.

The virus is spread through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person or animal. It is not spread through the air like Influenza and can not be caught from mosquitoe bites. The incubation period for the infection is between 2 and 21 days. The initial signs of the infection include

• Fever of greater than 38.6C
• Weakness
• Muscle and joint pains
• Headache
• Diarhoea
• Vomiting

If you have been to a country infected with the virus or have had direct contact with a person suspected of having Ebola Virus here in Ireland and are worried about Ebola, please contact the surgery by phone so that we can assess your symptoms further and arrange for further treatment for you.

We are very privileged to have Dr. Aimee Murphy join us for the year as a Senior GP Registrar from the TCD/HSE Vocational Training Programme for General Practice. Aimee is a graduate of Trinity College and has extensive hospital experience including Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Emergency Medicine. She also has qualifications and experience in Palliative Care.  Aimee has a warm and friendly personality which combined with her extensive experience and knowledge will make her a huge asset to the practice for the coming year.

If you are planning an escape to some exotic destination this summer, don’t forget to visit us for travel advice and vaccinations. At Kilmacud Medical Centre, we stock all of the common travel vaccinations and can provide you with information and advice on all of the common hazards of overseas travel. We subscribe to the Travax on line vaccination service so we are up to date with information on all of the latest infection out breaks across the world as well as region specific Malaria prophylaxis information. When you are booking a travel consultation, please let our reception staff know so that we can allocate you enough time to discuss your travel needs.

If you are planning an escape from the bad weather to some exotic destination, don’t forget to visit us for travel advice and vaccinations. At Kilmacud Medical Centre, we stock all of the common travel vaccinations and can provide you with information and advice on all of the common hazards of overseas travel. We subscribe to the Travax on line vaccination service so we are up to date with information on all of the latest infection out breaks across the world as well as region specific Malaria prophylaxis information. When you are booking a travel consultation, please let our reception staff know so that we can allocate you enough time to discuss your travel needs.

We are delighted to announce that our practice nurse Karen Canning won the coveted Irish Practice Nurse Of The Year Award at this year’s IPNA conference in Athlone last weekend. The award recognises the promotion of Practice Nursing as well as academic achievement, innovation, leadership and patient satisfaction. The specialty of Practice Nursing has made huge progress in Ireland over the past ten years and Karen has been at the forefront of this. She has been pivotal in the development of a continuing professional development by setting up the south Dublin branch of the IPNA  and the award recognises this and other achievements.

If you have visited our centre recently you will see  we are doing some building work. The plan is to completely renovate the entrance and the facade of the building to make it easier to access. While this work is being carried out, the entrance to the centre is through a door on the other side of the building. This entrance is well sign posted. Please accept our apologies for the disruption. We hope the building work will be complete in about four weeks.