Dr Kerryn Phelps, Health Editor, with Tracey Grimshaw, Channel Nine, 'Today'

GRIMSHAW: Why is paracetamol dangerous and if it is, why is it so readily and so widely available?

PHELPS: In high doses or in certain people, paracetamol can cause liver damage. And if, for example, somebody takes a very large dose of paracetamol they can get liver damage, but the liver damage might take some days to actually develop, so it's a delayed reaction to the liver.

If someone's already got a liver problem, or for example they're a heavy drinker, then the paracetamol will have more damage on the liver.

GRIMSHAW: Not just a large dose, but a regular dose over a prolonged period of time, I mean?

PHELPS: Yes, and that's very important that people need to get advice if they do have a problem that requires them to be taking a lot of paracetamol. There are some safety lists for adults. For example, no more than eight tablets a day they shouldn't be taken longer than 48 hours without medical advice, and it's important not to double up.

Now, a lot of people don't realise that many of the common cough and cold preparations, for example, contain as one of their ingredients, paracetamol. So if you're taking that, and a couple of paracetamol tablets just to make yourself feel better then, you are doubling up the dose of paracetamol, and it's very important that you don't just look at the brand name, but you read the ingredients and see not only whether paracetamol is in it, but what dosage is in it.

GRIMSHAW: It sounds like it's really easy to overdose. Should it be restricted and should it be perhaps, prescription only?

PHELPS: Well, there is a case for some restriction of sale and this is being discussed at the moment and, I don't think you can really pre-empt that discussion about safety. But, I think the main thing is that people understand that even though it's very common and very widely used, that its not without its dangers.

With parents, particularly when they're giving dosages to their children, it's often in the middle of the night - they go to the cabinet, they're half asleep and I think that one of the best things that parents can do, in terms of safety, that any medication they're giving their children is; wake yourself up, put on your glasses - if you need to wear glasses. Turn on the light, read the label, make sure that you get the dosage right for your child's age and weight, have a proper measuring device - don't just slop it into a spoon and say 'Oh, that looks like about five mils', and if you're worried, call your doctor or, if you think you might have given your child too much, ring the Poisons Information Hotline or go to a local hospital.

GRIMSHAW: Is that for all home medications, including, you know, the sort of more benign cough syrups and things like that, then?

PHELPS: Absolutely. Dosage which is correct is extremely important. It's not just about getting the right medication; it's about getting the right dose over the right time period. If you're concerned, advice from your doctor is important but, if it's a problem that doesn't seem to be getting better after 24 or 48 hours, clearly that's a case for going to see your doctor and getting advice about what's causing the pain or the fever in the first place.

GRIMSHAW: All right, let's move onto this new contraceptive pill, 'Yasmin', that apparently causes weight loss, rather than weight gain.

PHELPS: Some of the newer third generation, so called 'third generation' contraceptive pills do have fewer side effects than the older generation pills, and this one that's coming out is another type of progesterone, once used in the second and first generation contraceptive pills.

It tends to cause less weight gain, maybe saves a small amount of weight loss, so it's another option for women who are looking for a contraceptive pill that suits them, and I think it's one worth talking to your doctor about.

There is a range of contraceptive pills that are now available. They have a range of different types of hormones in them, this particular progesterone appears to not have the bloating and the weight gain effect that some of the others might.

GRIMSHAW: Does it have any side effects at all?

PHELPS: Every oral contraceptive pill will have side effects in some people, but clearly the lower dose, and the tailored made progesterone for people if it suits them, will have fewer side effects.

GRIMSHAW: Okay, vaccine. Meningoccal vaccine is now available?

PHELPS: Yes, there's been a boost in health care, …… who's been able to get a fast tracked approval from the Goods Administration for bringing in a vaccine for Meningoccal C. We've obviously heard a lot of reports about meningoccal. In general practice, we've had an enormous number of inquiries about it, and this vaccine is available for babies from the age of 6 weeks. Now, for babies it's a course of three shots a month apart, for children over 12 months and for adults it's one shot of half a mil.

It's not obviously going to cover every case of meningoccal disease because the majority are caused by B, and there's no vaccination for that. But most of the deaths are caused by C, and this will give long lasting protection against that.

GRIMSHAW: Thanks, Kerryn.

PHELPS: Thanks, Tracey.

Ends