Urgent health warning for kids, teens

Public health authority NSW Health has issued a warning over spikes in whooping cough and pneumonia, with children and teens catching both highly contagious infections at “unseasonably high” levels.

Concerningly, the latest outbreak of pneumonia has led to “unseasonably high numbers of presentations to emergency departments” across the state, especially in people aged five to 16 years of age, a trend that has continued from April to early June.

Pneumonia results in the infection of the lungs. It can cause swelling and difficulty in breathing due to the presence of fluid in the air sacs.

Cases are linked to the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae, according to the latest NSW respiratory surveillance report, with NSW overdue for an epidemic.

“M. pneumoniae is a common cause of pneumonia in school-aged children and epidemics occur every three to five years,” the report said.

“The last epidemic in NSW was before the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Cases of whooping cough, a severe hacking cough that can also lead to pneumonia, have also been steadily increasing since 2023, with cases exploding this year.

NSW Health reported 103.1 infections per 10,000 people year-to-date in 2024, up from 10.8 notifications per 10,000 people in 2023.

The health authority urged people to reduce the spread of both infections through “simple measures” like staying at home if they’re unwell, wearing a mask if they need to be in public, and practising good hygiene like “regular handwashing and covering your coughs and sneezes”.

There has also been a 25 per cent week-on-week surge in influenza cases, with the health body warning cases will remain high for “several weeks to come”.

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant urged Australians over 65 to get their free vaccination, with just 52.4 per cent of people in the age group vaccinated.

“This is particularly important for people aged 65 and over who are at higher risk of severe illness from influenza, and unfortunately our vaccination rates for this group still aren’t where we need them to be,” Dr Chant said.