Whooping cough cases soar in NSW and Queensland

Australia has broken a grim record with 45,000 whooping cough cases expected by the end of the year - the highest number since the introduction of the vaccine - with two states hard hit.

Australia has broken a grim record with 45,000 whooping cough cases expected by the end of the year - the highest number since the introduction of the vaccine - with two states hard hit.

The nation recorded an average of 130 new whooping cough cases daily this year with NSW and Queenslanders particularly vulnerable the the deadly virus.

New data released on National Whooping Cough Day shows the total number of cases for 2024 is expected to surpass 45,000.

This is the largest number of cases on record since vaccines were made widely available.

The last time cases of whooping cough were this high in Australia was in 2011 which clocked up 38,748 cases.

But with almost two months left of 2024, our grim national tally has already surpassed 41,000.

The new data comes as the Immunisation Foundation of Australia releases its 2024 Whooping Cough Report Card.

Foundation founder, Catherine Hughes, is pleading with Australians to get vaccinated after losing her four week old son Riley to the illness during the last epidemic.

“Many people are unaware of the necessity for a booster vaccine and are probably not adequately protected against whooping cough,” Ms Hughes said.

isation is really improtant to help protect against the illness.

“We all have a role to play in controlling the spread of whooping cough and reducing the risk of infection in ourselves and others. It takes community effort to protect against whooping cough.”

The report card shows half of all cases have been detected in New South Wales and almost 30 per cent in Queensland.

While whooping cough is often seen as a virus which targets infants and the elderly, alarmingly almost 40 per cent of this year’s cases have been detected in school children aged 10 to 14.

Dr Laurence Luu, Chancellor’s Research Fellow and Lecturer at University of Technology Sydney said epidemics of whooping cough follow a fairly predictable pattern.

“However, we had not anticipated the magnitude of this outbreak, the largest since national notifiable disease reporting began,” Dr Luu said.

Whooping cough cases are on the increase in Far North Queensland, with Cairns health authorities urging people to make sure they are vaccinated against the respiratory infection. Marlin Coast Amcal Pharmacy compounding pharmacist Gift Phillips formulates whooping cough medicine, but warns that prevention is better than cure. Picture: Brendan Radke

Dr Luu said the epidemic was made worse was a corresponding drop in vaccination rates.

“Given the significant rise in whooping cough cases, current vaccination rates are a major concern,” he said.

“While we do an incredible job protecting newborns and infants, re-vaccination or ‘booster’ rates are alarmingly low.”

In 2023, one-in-four adolescents turning 13 years of age missed out on their whooping cough booster.

In the same year, only one-in-five Australians aged over 50 years was up to date.

The Immunisation Foundation of Australia recommends adults get a booster shot at least every 10 years to maintain protection.

Dr Luu said many people did not realise whooping cough was much more contagious than other viruses including influenza, measles or COVID-19.

Unfortunately, the warmer weather will provide no salvation with cases often worsening in spring and summer.

Originally published as Whooping cough cases soar in NSW and Queensland