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Thousands of WA women shun free whoooping cough vaccine

Mum's heartbreaking plea to urge parents to get children vaccinated

Thousands of pregnant women in Western Australia are shunning a free vaccine that would almost completely protect their newborn babies from whooping cough.

But others wanting to pay for a booster out of their own pocket have been unable to have it because of a worldwide shortage of the vaccine.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection that can be fatal in babies too young to be immunised.

The WA Health Department says about 6500 expectant mothers have taken up a free whooping cough booster offered since March after the death of four-week-old Riley Hughes from complications of the disease.

But that represents only about 60 per cent of the estimated number of pregnant women over that period who would have been eligible, meaning several thousand have missed out.

Research has shown the vaccine passes on far more protection to very young babies than thought, with an effectiveness of more than 90 per cent.

Communicable disease control medical co-ordinator Paul Effler said while it was encouraging many women had taken up the offer of the Government-funded vaccine, others were missing out on a safe vaccine that could help their unborn baby.

“It provides very good protection for young infants under three months of age who are most at risk from complications from pertussis,” Dr Effler said.

The State Government agreed to cover the cost of the vaccine for pregnant women in March, and since June the Federal Government has funded it for pregnant women in their third trimester, their partners and new parents.

But Dr Effler confirmed that while supplies for the Government-funded program were secure, other people wanting to have a booster were struggling to find stock.

Australian Medical Association WA president Michael Gannon said the main focus and funding was rightly directed at antenatal and childhood vaccination against whooping cough.

“That is by far the most effective use of the vaccine to protect against severe complications from whooping cough,” Dr Gannon said. “It’s not very nice if adults get whooping cough, but it’s not life-threatening.”