Australia and the wider world is experiencing a serious surge in whooping cough cases. There have now been more than 41,000 cases recorded across the country since the beginning of this year, the highest rate of infection since recording began 30 years ago. Experts say there are likely to be many more undiagnosed cases, particularly in adults, making this an epidemic.
Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a serious, contagious respiratory infection caused by bacteria. It’s spread by coughing and close contact.
Beginning with cold-like symptoms, a serious, uncontrolled cough usually follows, which is typically most severe in young children, causing a distinctive whooping sound when those infected are gasping for breath.
Infants sometimes experience periods of being unable to breathe at all, with recorded cases of death in the past from complications including pneumonia and brain damage.
Symptoms tend to be less severe in older children, adolescents and adults.
Vaccination
Vaccination against whooping cough in Australia began in the early 1940s, and is still widely available for infants and pregnant women (who can access the vaccine for free), but vaccination rates have been falling, leading to cyclical outbreaks across the country every few years, with the current surge being the most serious.
Reported rates of whooping cough infection in the USA and UK are also five times above average.
While deaths from whooping cough are now rare in Australia, doctors are concerned that the lack of re-vaccination, or boosters, is causing dangerously low levels of herd immunity, impacted by vaccination fears since the time of COVID-19.
Data from the National Centre for Immunisations shows that one in four adolescents have missed their whooping cough boosters, and only one in five Australians aged over 50 years is up to date for whooping cough immunisation.
This is a particular issue for adults or older children who work or live around infants and young children.
Infection risks
Another problem with the disease is that whooping cough symptoms typically take a while to appear, and people are infectious during that time.
Without treatment, the cough can last for 100 days, also causing issues such as broken or strained ribs, and incontinence.
The Immunisation Foundation of Australia was established by Catherine Hughes, who lost her infant son to complications from whooping cough in 2015. Two more Australian babies have died from whooping cough since then, with concerns that these numbers could rise.
Each November the IFA encourages people to stay up to date with their vaccinations.
You can find out more about immunisation for adults here.
