Brisbane community health Archives

Chermside residents are being urged to donate blood this week, with the local donor centre needing 150 people with O-type blood to help rebuild dangerously low national supplies.

Why O-type Blood Is Critical

Australian Red Cross Lifeblood has issued a national appeal for 9,500 O-type blood donations, with stock levels at their lowest since 2023. The Chermside Donor Centre urgently needs 150 donors to help meet local demand.

O-type blood is the most requested by hospitals, especially O negative, which can be used in emergencies when there’s no time to test a patient’s blood type. Although only 7 per cent of Australians have O negative, it makes up 16 per cent of blood ordered by hospitals.

O positive is also widely used in emergencies and is more common in the population. Lifeblood says cancellations and reschedules have surged, straining supply at a critical time for patient care.

Blood Shortages Hitting Queensland

Queensland needs 2,000 of the 9,500 O-type blood donations required nationwide this week. Lifeblood says Chermside, along with Brisbane City, Springwood and Strathpine, faces the most urgent demand in the Brisbane region. Chermside is one of the largest donor centres on the northside, supporting major hospitals across the city.

Nearly 10,000 blood products are distributed daily across Australia. Lifeblood warns that without more donors, hospitals could face delays in treating patients needing surgery, cancer care or emergency transfusions.

How To Help In Chermside

Donating blood takes about an hour, with the actual donation lasting around 10 minutes. Lifeblood urges healthy people over 18, especially first-time donors or those who haven’t donated recently, to book an appointment.

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Those unsure of their blood type can find out during their visit. Appointments can be made by calling 13 14 95, visiting lifeblood.com.au, or using the DonateBlood app, with the Chermside Donor Centre open all week for blood and plasma donations.

Community Response Makes The Difference

Lifeblood says blood donations often fall during winter, even though the need stays the same. Chermside locals are being asked to help fill the shortfall of 150 donors this week.

Donating takes just one hour and can help hospital patients recover from serious illness or injury. Stuart Chesneau said it’s a simple way to give others more time with their loved ones and support the strength of the community.

Published 3-June-2025

A two-year-old boy from Brisbane’s northern suburbs has tested positive for measles. Health authorities have identified several public exposure sites, including Chermside. Learn more about symptoms, prevention, and vaccination services.

According to the experts, the child was infectious from 7 to 13 December 2024, in which he visited various public places.

Exposure sites and timeline

The Metro North Public Health Unit has identified multiple sites the child visited while infectious:

December 7 and 8: Flight TG346 from Lahore to Bangkok
8 December: Flight TG461 departs Bangkok for Melbourne; arrives at Melbourne International Airport between 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM.
9 December: Melbourne Domestic Airport from 5:00 to 7:30 a.m.; Flight JQ562 from Melbourne to Brisbane; Brisbane Domestic Airport from 8:20 to 9:30 a.m.
10 December: Visited the Prince Charles Hospital Paediatric Emergency Department from 8:00 to 9:40 a.m.; attended a QUT graduation ceremony at The Star Brisbane from 4:40 to 10:00 p.m.
12 December: visited Nundah Family Practice at 12:30 PM and 1:15 PM; Lumus Imaging in Nundah from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM; returned to the Prince Charles Hospital Paediatric Emergency Department at 6:20 PM and stayed until 12:15 AM.

Residents in Chermside and surrounding suburbs are advised to remain vigilant for symptoms, particularly if they visited any of these locations during the specified times.

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads through respiratory droplets expelled during coughing and sneezing. Symptoms usually appear between 7 to 18 days after exposure, beginning with fever, fatigue, a runny nose, a wet cough, and sore, red eyes. These are followed by a blotchy red rash that usually starts on the face and spreads throughout the body.

Brisbane Measles Alert: Chermside Community on High Alert — *Photo Credit: Metro North Health*

People who have spent time at the locations above during the times listed above should be vigilant for symptoms up to 31 December, 2024. Anyone with symptoms should self-isolate indoors and consult their GP for advice straight away. Secondary transmission should be avoided by telling the health facility of a suspected case of measles infection before going there.

Health authorities recommend that individuals born during or after 1966 ensure they have received two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, as this is the most effective protection against measles.

Those uncertain of their vaccination status should consult their healthcare provider. The MMR vaccine is available through general practices, some pharmacies, and community immunisation clinics.

Free Measles Vaccination in January 2025

The city provides free vaccination services to eligible citizens at community clinics, including at the Chermside Library. These clinics offer immunisations to those aged six weeks and above, protecting them against illnesses including measles, influenza, whooping cough, polio, and tetanus.

Schedule free immunisation

This is the second measles notice in Brisbane within a period of three weeks, with a case reported in the Sunshine Coast. Authorities are working closely with the hospitals and places the affected child would be found in tracing contacts and advising whoever could be infected.

As the community takes preventive measures so that another event does not occur, they are encouraged to be careful and to check their immunization status.

Measles can lead to serious complications, especially in children and other immunocompromised individuals. It protects not only the individual but also contributes to community immunity, which helps to control the spread of the virus.

Public health efforts still target immunisation campaigns, raising awareness about the importance of the vaccine and encouraging quick access to medical attention should the symptoms appear.

Published 19-Dec-2024

Tag: Brisbane community health

Urgent Call for Chermside Locals to Donate O-Type Blood