Queensland has seen a massive increase in whooping cough, with the number of cases almost 23 times higher than last year.
It comes as Australia is battling the largest pertussis epidemic in history since the invention of vaccines against the disease.
Whooping cough is a highly infectious and life-threatening lung disease that can be life-threatening in infants and young children.
Queensland Health data shows there have been more than 12,500 cases of the disease in 2024, compared to just 549 cases in 2023.
Of this year’s cases, 199 resulted in hospital admissions, including 37 babies under six months old.
This is a huge increase in young babies with whooping cough: in 2023, only 14 babies under six months were admitted to hospital.
Queensland Health Communicable Diseases Division chief executive Dr Heidi Carroll told the ABC the disease is extremely dangerous for babies.
‘They cough so much that they can’t catch their breath. “So they can’t get enough oxygen into their systems,” Dr. Carroll said.
A massive increase in whooping cough has been recorded in Queensland, with the number of cases almost 23 times higher than last year.
He thought a drop in vaccination rates could be to blame for this year’s rise in cases.
“There are a lot of studies being done to look at why our vaccination rates are declining.”
Data shows pertussis vaccination is declining among pregnant women and also among one- and two-year-old babies in Queensland.
In the case of pregnant women, the rate fell from 77.2 percent in 2020 to 70.7 percent in 2023.
But Dr. Carroll said when pregnant women receive the vaccine, it helps protect their unborn children.
‘Vaccinating pregnant women reduces the risk of babies contracting whooping cough by 75 percent and also reduces the risk of serious illness that prevents hospitalization.
“They can receive that vaccine for free and they can receive it between 20 and 32 weeks of gestation.”
Rates among one- and two-year-olds have also fallen, from 94.4 percent and 93.1 percent respectively in 2018 to 90.8 percent and 89.7 percent in 2024.
Pertussis vaccination rates have fallen among pregnant women in Queensland
Australia is currently in the grip of a whooping cough epidemic: more than 41,000 cases have been recorded this year, surpassing the previous record of 38,748 cases in 2011.
National figures show a significant increase in cases in school-aged children and almost 40 per cent of infections were recorded in children aged 10 to 14 years.
Dr Laurence Luu, Chancellor’s Research Fellow and professor at the University of Technology Sydney, said the disease was more contagious than Covid-19.
“Given the significant increase in pertussis cases, current vaccination rates are a major concern,” Dr. Luu said.
“While we do an incredible job protecting newborns and infants, revaccination or ‘booster’ rates are alarmingly low.”
Whooping cough symptoms do not always appear until two weeks after infection, meaning a person can remain contagious for up to three weeks.
It usually begins with typical flu-like symptoms such as cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and mild fever.
A dry, persistent cough usually lasts a week and the frequency of the cough produces a “screaming” sound.