Western Australia is set to record as many whooping cough cases in the first eight months of this year as it did across the entire year last year.
Some 1280 cases of pertussis had been recorded across the state as of August 28.
Cases in the metropolitan area are already 50% higher than the 2024 total, with 919 cases recorded so far this year compared to 618 cases in Perth last year.
The head of the Immunisation Foundation of Australia (IFA) said the rise in whooping cough cases across WA was a “serious concern” putting WA on track for potentially the worst year in a decade.
Catherine Hughes, founder and director of the IFA said there was a dangerous sense of complacency around whooping cough.
She said the significantly suppressed circulation of many infectious diseases, including whooping cough, thanks to lockdowns and social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic had seen a rebound in in the years since.
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“This period of pandemic-related suppression, combined with the public health focus on other respiratory viruses like COVID and RSV, has contributed to a dangerous sense of community complacency,” she said.
“Because of this, the public has a reduced awareness of the ongoing risks posed by whooping cough, and the importance of staying up to date with vaccinations has been forgotten by many.”
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The AMA (WA) has raised concern about vaccine skepticism, vaccine fatigue and complacency all playing a part in decreasing rates of vaccination.
It has urged doctors to be conscious of vaccine hesitancy among patients and to use every opportunity available to remind the community about the benefits of vaccinations.
Ms Hughes’ son Riley died in 2015 from whooping cough when he was just a month old and too young to be immunised against the respiratory disease.
“The current high case load is particularly worrying for our most vulnerable, especially infants under six months old,” she said.
“The tragic reality is that even in our modern health system, whooping cough can be fatal for unprotected infants.”
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Ms Hughes said there needed to be renewed focus on timely vaccination.
“It’s essential to remind parents to keep their children’s vaccinations up to date and, importantly, to encourage pregnant women to get vaccinated during each pregnancy,” she said.
“This simple step provides newborns with essential protection until they’re old enough for their own vaccinations.”
Free whooping cough vaccines are offered nationally on the National Immunisation Program for:
- children aged 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 18 months and 4 years
- adolescents aged 12-13 years through school-based vaccination programs
- pregnant women (ideally between 20-32 weeks)
The Australian Immunisation Handbook recommends routine whooping cough vaccinations in infants, children and teenagers.
It also recommends routine booster vaccinations in specific groups deemed at higher risk including healthcare workers, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, early childhood educators and carers and people in close contact with infants.
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