Health authorities across Australia are sounding an ‘urgent’ alarm, as cases of pertussis – better known as whooping cough – explode in at least three states.
Hospitals and GP clinics everywhere are taking precautions after Queensland Health issued an urgent warning to the state’s residents of a surge in cases of whooping cough.
There have been more than 7000 cases of the disease recorded in QLD so far this year – compared to just over 100 cases in the same period last year.
Queensland isn’t alone, across Australia there have been more than 21,336 cases logged with the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System so far in 2024, compared with just 2451 for the whole of 2023.
High numbers (10,024 cases) have also been recorded in New South Wales and Victorian health authorities issued a public warning last month after cases there more than quadrupled over last year.
What is whooping cough?
Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by the Bordatella pertussis bacteria. Infants and young children are most at risk, but whooping cough can also cause serious complications in older people and outbreaks in aged care can be deadly.
The infection causes severe bouts of heavy, painful coughing. It’s common for the breaths you take in between coughs to make a ‘whoop’ sound, hence the name.
Whooping cough feels uncomfortable and can take a long time to go away completely. After the first fortnight, the cold symptoms get better, but the cough gets worse. From two to six weeks, the cough begins to get better, but it can take weeks to months for the cough to totally stop.
The main defence against whooping cough is vaccination. The pertussis vaccine is one of the first administered to infants, and adults will need a booster if they are going to be in close contact with a newborn baby.
Beyond that, adults are recommended to get a booster shot for whooping cough every 10 years, regardless of your proximity to children.
While delivering QLD’s warning, state health minister Shannon Fentiman urged all Queenslanders to get up to date with their whooping cough vaccination boosters.
“Whooping cases are soaring across the country, posing a serious threat to our youngest and most vulnerable Queenslanders.
“We know vaccinations save lives. The whooping cough vaccine is the best defence against this disease which can be life-threatening for young children.”
What is causing the outbreak?
While it’s important to stay up to date with vaccinations, the whooping cough vaccination rate in Australia sits somewhere between 80 and 90 per cent, one of the highest in the world.
So, why are we getting so many cases? First, it’s important to note the whooping cough vaccine does not protect you from acquiring the infection, but will help to lessen the severity of its symptoms. It also reduces your chances of passing on the infection.
The Department of Health says the current situation may be due to reduced vaccination coverage and waning immunity due to the population having reduced exposure to pertussis during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Professor Nigel McMillan, director of Infectious Diseases and Immunology at Griffith University, told the ABC that although our vaccination rate is high, recent vaccine hesitancy brought on by the pandemic may have reduced the rate below what is needed.
“We know that it’s a really infectious disease that we need to keep vaccine rates up around 95 per cent to stop spreading,” he said.
“Any slight reduction or hesitancy around this particular vaccine would cause the sorts of figures that we’re seeing.”
So, if it’s been more than 10 years since you last had a whooping cough booster shot, talk to your GP today.
When was you last whooping cough booster shot? Have you ever had whooping cough before? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also read: Should you be worried about Legionnaires’ disease?
Disclaimer: This article contains general information about health issues and is not advice. For health advice, consult your medical practitioner.
