Australia in midst of ‘largest’ whooping cough epidemic: What you need to know
Experts have warned that whooping cough remains a “public health threat in Australia”.
Video transcript
Australia is in the midst of the largest whooping cough epidemic since the introduction of vaccines against the disease.
Here's what you need to know, Research by the Immunisation Foundation of Australia stated.
More than 41,000 cases of whooping cough have been recorded since the start of the year, smashing the previous record of over 38,000 cases in 2011.
Experts have warned that whooping cough remains a public health threat in Australia.
UTS Research fellow and lecturer doctor Lawrence Liu said mix of whooping cough follow a fairly predictable pattern, so we did predict a rise in cases this year.
However, we had not anticipated the magnitude of this outbreak.
The largest international notifiable reporting began.
Given the significant rise in whooping cough cases, current vaccination rates are a major concern.
Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection marked by a severe hacking cough and can lead to serious illness and even death in infants, Children and pregnant women.
According to S A, the illness kills about 250,000 Children worldwide every year, and many surviving Children are left with brain damage.
Symptoms of whooping cough can take up to a week or two to appear, and one infected person can potentially spread it to 17 unvaccinated people.
The Immunisation Foundation recommends adults receive a booster shot at least every 10 years to maintain protection against whooping cough, which is more contagious than influenza, covid and measles.
