A "she'll be right" mentality following a needlestick injury has almost cost a South East farmer his finger, prompting a public service announcement from the primary producer.
Earlier this month, Paxton stud principal Martin Harvey, Western Flat, was vaccinating Border Leicester rams with GlanEry 7 in 1 when he stuck himself with the vaccination needle.
"I sound like a bit of a klutz, but that day I stuck myself a few times," Mr Harvey said.
"The rams were jumping around a bit and we were also shearing at the time, so it was a busy day.
"Normally when it happens, you might stick the needle in a bit and it hurts but that's the end of it, but this time I hit my middle finger near the joint and it was a whole different pain."
Although Mr Harvey noticed more intense pain than he had experienced with previous needlestick injuries, his busy schedule meant he didn't feel like he had the time to seek medical attention.
That night he felt he had trouble sleeping due to the pain in his finger, and by the following morning his finger had blown up.
About 24 hours after the incident, Mr Harvey visited his local doctor where he was given oral antibiotics, but after about four days the infection had resisted the antibiotics and spread.
"The infection had gone probably halfway up my arm," he said.
"That's when I realised it was fairly serious and there were thoughts I might lose my finger or worse.
"I was then put on IV antibiotics and stayed at Bordertown Hospital for four days."
National Centre for Farmer Health senior researcher and lecturer Jacquie Cotton said needstick injuries were important for both farmers and medical professionals to be aware of.
"Depending on vaccine or medication being used the reaction can be different for each person," Dr Cotton said.
"When people experience a reaction, it's usually due to the adjuvant, the liquid in which the vaccine is suspended in, and different vaccines can have different adjuvants and carry a different risk of future complications - always read the data sheet for advice.
"In Martin's case, the safety data sheet of the vaccine he was working with doesn't describe a lot more than a possible allergic reaction and to seek medical care but people should.
"But in some vaccines, such as the Ovine Johne's disease vaccine Gudair, it's adjuvant is a mineral oil and even injecting a little bit or a graze can lead to complications if it's left too long or it's not treated properly by medical professionals."
Dr Cotton said a needstick injury involving a mineral oil can often require surgery to remove the mineral oil from the site, while other vaccines may respond to antibiotics.
"There's a spectrum of outcomes from a needlestick injury, and people will feel different levels of pain depending on the location," she said.
"Martin injected his finger and areas close to the bone can be quite painful so people are a bit quicker to seek help.
"But depending on where it is on the body, a person may just feel a bit of warmth, stinging or a scratch and they're not thinking much of it straightaway, but they need to not ignore that and see a doctor straightaway.
"It's also important to take a picture of the product you've been using and share as much information with the health professionals as you can.
"It is also important that health professionals in rural areas are aware of the products farmers use regularly that may put them at risk."
Dr Cotton said needlestick injury prevention techniques, risks and recommended treatment can be found on the National Centre for Farmer Health website.
"It can be difficult and animals are unpredictable, but you want to protect your hands which includes vaccinating one handed and not tenting the skin," she said.
"Handling facilities are also important, which means having yards set up in a way that enables you to access animals as easily as possible and to contain them as comfortably as possible.
"There are also safety vaccinators recommended for use with some products that help reduce the exposure of the needle.
"Changing needles often is also important as a blunt needle often takes a lot more effort to push into the animal and the chances of it slipping and going into your hand is higher.
"Also making sure you're not letting the vaccination gun hang with an exposed needle while you're walking as that can be a common cause of injury."
Now, almost two weeks on from the incident, Mr Harvey is out of hospital but remains on oral antibiotics and has been getting his wound dressed regularly.
"I'm really grateful to the staff at Bordertown Hospital - they've done an amazing job and being able to stay close to home rather than having to stay in Adelaide has been priceless," he said.
"My finger is still swollen but the wound is healing and the doctor is happy with how it's progressing - I just have to focus on keeping it clean which as a farmer isn't always easy!
"We often think 'she'll be right' but sometimes it's not right.
"There'd be hundreds of people doing injections every day and it's a reminder to be careful and look after ourselves."
Mr Harvey stressed he did not believe the injury was an issue with the vaccine itself, but rather user-error.
Katie Jackson
Journalist at Stock Journal. Born into a journo family in the state's South East, Katie made the move to the big smoke to join the team in early 2022 after seven years spent at various mastheads in the regions.
Journalist at Stock Journal. Born into a journo family in the state's South East, Katie made the move to the big smoke to join the team in early 2022 after seven years spent at various mastheads in the regions.
