Urgent warning issued to parents as cases of deadly disease explodes

Cases of whooping cough have exploded in Queensland to the highest levels in more than a decade, with young children most affected by the deadly infection.

Infections skyrocketed to a whopping 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 recorded in 2014 and is 16 times higher than the 928 infections recorded in 2023.

The staggering statistics come as vaccination rates fall across Australia and the end comes of Covid-19 advertising encouraging hand hygiene and mask wearing.

Paul Griffin, director of infectious diseases at Mater Health, said while it was not unusual for massive cough outbreaks to occur, the sudden increase in cases was alarming.

‘There are other factors. Part of that is declining vaccination rates… and we have seen vaccination rates of both children and mothers decline in recent times,” Mr Griffin told the Brisbane newspaper. Courier mail newspaper.

“I think the other factor is that for at least a few years we did the right things and did some additional things to reduce the risk of infectious diseases … and that probably lowered those numbers for a while.”

Across Queensland, 90.8 per cent of one-year-olds had been vaccinated against the respiratory infection by September 2024.

The figure represents a decline of 3.6 per cent from the 94.4 per cent of one-year-olds vaccinated at the end of 2018, according to Queensland Health figures.

A baby in Queensland died in November after contracting the infectious disease.

Fewer pregnant women have also received their vaccination, with 70.7 percent receiving the treatment in 2023, compared to 77.2 percent in 2020.

Figures from the National Center for Immunization Research and Surveillance show that vaccination rates among children across the country have also declined overall in 2023.

Babies aged 12 months had a vaccination rate of 92.8 percent in 2023, compared to 93.3 percent in 2022.

More than 41,000 cases of whooping cough were recorded in Australia in November 2024. The Guardian reports.

The staggering statistics come as vaccination rates fall across Australia (pictured)

Dr. Heidi Carroll, director of Queensland Health’s Communicable Diseases Unit, urged parents to ensure their children are vaccinated against the disease.

“This disease can be life-threatening for young children, with most hospitalizations and deaths from whooping cough occurring in babies under six months of age,” 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 protecting more people from the disease.’

Dr. Carroll said it is crucial that pregnant women are vaccinated against the infection to ensure babies and toddlers are protected.

“Vaccinating pregnant women reduces the risk of babies developing whooping cough by 75 percent and also reduces the risk of severe disease, thereby avoiding hospital admission,” Dr. Carroll said.

Queensland Health Communicable Diseases Executive Director Dr. Heidi Caroll (pictured) urged parents to ensure their children are vaccinated against the disease

The whooping cough vaccine is available free of charge for children aged 18 months, 2, 4 and 6 years according to the National Vaccination Programme.

Pregnant women are also eligible for the free dose and children and young adults aged 12 to 19 are also eligible for the vaccine.

Booster doses are recommended 10 years after vaccinations.

Whooping cough is a serious infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis.

Common symptoms include coughing, runny nose and sneezing before patients regularly experience intense and heavy coughs.

The infection can cause pneumonia, brain damage and sometimes death. The disease is dangerous for babies, but the infection can affect people at any age.