Cases of whooping cough have exploded to the highest rate in more than a decade across Queensland with young children affected the most by the deadly infection.
The number of infections skyrocketed to a massive 14,783 cases in the Sunshine State in 2024 according to the latest figures from Queensland Health.
The figure is well above the 11,868 cases that was registered in 2014 and it is 16 times higher than the 928 infections that were detected in 2023.
The staggering statistics comes as vaccination rates drop across Australia and the end of Covid-19 advertising encouraging hand hygiene and wearing a mask.
Mater Health infectious disease director Paul Griffin said that while it was not uncommon for whopping cough outbreaks to occur, the sudden increase in cases was alarming.
‘There’s additional factors. Part of it is declining vaccination rates … and we’ve seen both the childhood and maternal vaccination rates drop off in recent times,’ Mr Griffin told Brisbane’s Courier Mail newspaper.
‘I think the other factor is that for a few years at least we did all the right things and some additional things to mitigate the risk of infectious disease … and that probably reduced those numbers for a little while.’
Across Queensland there were 90.8 per cent of one-year-olds, who were vaccinated against the respiratory infection, as of September 2024.
Cases of whooping cough have exploded to the highest rate in more than a decade across Queensland with young children affected the most (pictured stock image)
The figure represents a 3.6 per cent decrease from the 94.4 per cent of one-year-olds, who were vaccinated at the end of 2018, according to figures from Queensland Health.
An infant in Queensland died in November after contracting the contagious disease.
Fewer pregnant women have also received their vaccination with 70.7 per cent receiving the treatment in 2023 compared to 77.2 per cent in 2020.
Figures from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance reveals vaccine coverage among children across the country also declined overall in 2023.
Infants aged 12 months had a vaccination coverage of 92.8 per cent in 2023 compared to 93.3 per cent in 2022.
More than 41,000 whooping cough cases were recorded in Australia as of November 2024, The Guardian reports.
The staggering statistics comes as vaccination rates drop across Australia (pictured stock image)
Queensland Health Communicable Diseases Branch Executive Director Dr Heidi Carroll urged parents to ensure their children are vaccinated against the disease.
‘This disease can be life-threatening for young children, with most hospitalisations and deaths related to whooping cough occurring in babies less than six months old,’ Dr Carroll said.
‘Vaccination is the most effective way to control whooping cough and is an important step towards reducing the risk associated with whooping cough infection and keeping more people safe from the disease.’
Dr Carroll said it was crucial for pregnant women to be vaccinated against the infection to ensure infants and toddlers are protected.
‘Vaccinating pregnant women reduces the risk of babies contracting whooping cough by 75 per cent and also reduces the risk of serious illness avoiding hospitalisation,’ Dr Carroll said.
Queensland Health Communicable Diseases branch executive director Dr Heidi Caroll (pictured) urged parents to ensure their children are vaccinated against the disease
The whooping cough vaccine is available for free for children aged 18 months, 2, 4 and 6 under the National Immunisation Program.
Pregnant women are also eligible to receive the free dose and children and young adults aged 12-19 are also eligible to receive the vaccine.
Booster doses are recommended 10 years after vaccinations.
Whooping cough is a serious infection that is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis.
Common symptoms include a cough, runny nose and sneezing before patients experience regular bouts of intense and heavy coughs.
The infection can cause pneumonia, brain damage and occasionally death. The disease is dangerous for babies, however the infection can affect people at any age.
