Dr Kerryn Phelps, Health Editor, with Steve Leibmann, Channel Nine, 'Today'

PHELPS: Good morning, Steve.

LEIBMANN: Sharing a needle…dumb?

PHELPS: Not smart. In fact, since we have had from the early eighties with the HIV epidemic, the messages have been so clear, not to share needles. Now, it's not only for the reason of HIV, and clearly Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B are two of the other very good reasons not to share tattoo needles or any other types of needles, particularly needles used for intravenous drug use.

LEIBMANN: What is Hepatitis C? How do you get it?

PHELPS: Well, it's really interesting because when I was a medical student, and a young doctor, we knew about Hepatitis A and B, but there was this other thing that caused a similar type of liver inflammation, which we knew was viral, and we just called it 'non A non B', because we hadn't been able to identify it. In 1990, we finally had the technology to be able to identify this new virus called Hepatitis C, and we now know that Hepatitis C is quite a distinct virus with its own set of circumstances.

LEIBMANN: And it can really knock you around?

PHELPS: It can. Some people have the Hepatitis C on board, and their blood is infectious, but they're not really affected that much themselves. Other people become quite seriously affected, and they'll be terribly tired, they'll be nauseous, they'll have abdominal pain. Some of those people, over many years, go on to develop cirrhosis of the liver, or liver cancer.

LEIBMANN: How do you treat it?

PHELPS: Well, there is no cure, and that is why prevention is so important. And we can run through how to prevent it shortly, but the main cures at the moment are anti-viral treatments, and interferon, and, of course, there is a lot of research going on. There is some research going on into a variety of different alternative treatments as well, to try and keep people as well as possible, but at the moment we really are relying on future research, to keep people well.

LEIBMANN: And in the meantime prevention, so?

PHELPS: Prevention is so important. Don't share tattoo needles! Don't share intravenous drug used needles. Anybody who had a transfusion prior to 1990, and if they have got those symptoms they should get checked, but not panic. Don't share razors or toothbrushes. Now, it's not uncommon for people living in households to think, 'I need to shave my legs', and they'll grab someone's razor and sort of give it a quick flick over the legs…

LEIBMANN: Toothbrushes are fair enough, razors I've never thought about actually.

PHELPS: Yeah, I think that you really need to be thinking very carefully, in particular if you are in a share household, about sharing, not just needles, that's reasonably obvious since the early 80s that that is not a great idea, but sharing toothbrushes, and razors is another important thing to consider.

LEIBMANN: Okay, but if you're feeling tired and listless, and there is no obvious explanation, get yourself off to a doctor?

PHELPS: Yes.

LEIBMANN: Alright. That time of the year again, flu shots.

PHELPS: It is, speaking of needles, but flu shots and pneumococcal shots. Now, this is for pneumococcal disease, a disease that causes not only pneumonia, but also middle ear infections, meningitis, and septicaemia. And there are people at highest risk, if you're over 65, well, they're free in Australia which is great, so you can just go along to your GP and get that shot. Same for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders over 50, anyone with chronic heart or lung disease. So if you're asthmatic, you've got emphysema, you've got any sort of heart problem, if you're on immunosuppressive therapy, if you're diabetic, if you're somebody who is living in a nursing home, or an institution, and obviously anybody who can transmit the infection to people who are at risk, and that would be healthcare workers. Now, this applies to adults and children, if you have children who are diabetic, asthmatic, who have chronic health problems, then they should have the flu shot.

LEIBMANN: Is another strain going to come out of the blue this year?

PHELPS: Look, it could. I mean, we do have every year a new flu virus that comes along, the vaccine is adapted every year, and we just never know. It has been pretty quiet for the last 18 months, but we just don't know when the next big epidemic is going to hit, and the vaccine is available now, you can get it from your GP or pharmacist…

LEIBMANN: Plentiful supply?

PHELPS: There is plenty around at the moment, and I think it's a good way to protect people, and you know, if you don't want to have to have time off work to be sick or to suffer the complications of the flu, now is the time to get your flu shot.

LEIBMANN: Okay, see you next week.

PHELPS: Thanks, Steve.

Ends