Some 40 shearing industry workers and “shed family” will have the chance to receive a free Q Fever vaccination at a two-part clinic taking place at the agricultural shows in Wellington and Dubbo this month.

Organised by grassroots health promotion and suicide prevention charity sHedway, the clinic will be run by the Royal Flying Doctor Service and supported by Macquarie Health Collective, Western NSW Local Health District, and the Rotary Club of South Dubbo.

A serious and highly contagious bacterial infection, Q Fever is spread by animals and contaminated dust and can cause long-term health problems, according to the Australian Centre for Disease Control. It can impact quality of life and people's ability to carry out day-to-day activities, and may require long-term medical support.

People most at risk from developing Q Fever include people working in agricultural settings with livestock, in meat processing facilities and animal care settings, the centre says. Vaccination helps prevent the disease.

sHedway’s free Q Fever clinic targeting workers in these areas will conduct a skin and blood test at the charity’s stall at the Wellington Show on Saturday, May 16, with the vaccination carried out a week later at the sHedway stall at the Dubbo Show on Saturday, May 23.

The vaccination can only be given to participants who have NOT had Q Fever before and the skin test carried out in Wellington will check this, sHedway founder and CEO Carol Mudford said.

For more details, including eligibility criteria and to book a free vaccination, visit https://shedway.org.au/qfever-vaccination-clinic.