An urgent health warning has been issued in Queensland as whooping cough cases skyrocket.
Queensland Health authorities fear the current outbreak could turn deadly amid low rates of vaccination.
More than 7000 people have contracted the disease, up from just 100 this time last year.
That figure is seven times higher than the last whooping cough peak in 2019.
Among those infected is one-year-old Vivienne, who was fighting for life after contracting the virus.
Her mother said seeing Vivienne suffer was “absolutely heartbreaking.”
“She couldn’t breathe that’s why we had to take her to hospital. it was traumatic,” Rachel Bailey said.
Doctors told Rachel that becoming vaccinated against whooping cough while pregnant helped save Vivienne’s life.
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said babies under the age of 12 months were at the most risk of severe disease.
The warning comes as vaccination rates during pregnancy have dropped 7 per cent in the last four years, despite the vaccine being free.
Brisbane general practitioner Doctor Maria Boulton told 9News that becoming vaccinated against whooping cough during pregnancy could give your baby a 75 per cent lower chance of contracting the disease.
The ideal time for a pregnant woman to get the jab is between 20 to 32 weeks.
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You also don’t have to pay to immunise children aged under 4, or 12 to 19-year-olds.
Both of these demographics are overrepresented in the current outbreak.
There are calls for the free jab to be extended for all Queenslanders.
“We would like to see that extended to also family members, carers, and to everyone, especially now that we’re seeing so much whooping cough,” Boulton said.
Queensland Health Minister Shannon Fentiman suggested that vaccine fatigue could be affecting rates of vaccination.
“I’m not sure cost is the barrier,” she said.
“I think we need to do more as a community to combat vaccine fatigue, vaccine hesitation, and some of the misinformation we have seen coming out of Covid.”
