Western Australia: whooping cough cases rising in the Kimberley

Western Australia health experts are urging Kimberley residents to vaccinate their children for whooping cough on time, as cases of the disease continue to rise in the region. There were no reported cases of pertussis, or whooping cough, in the Kimberley from 2021 to 2023, but 105 cases were recorded in 2024. So far this year, there have been 63 diagnosed cases, the second-highest figure for the state after Perth. Western Australia Country Health Service physician Pippa May said figures were concerning, blaming loss of immunity from natural infection and low vaccination rates for the spread of the disease. Whooping cough is particularly severe in children, leading to hospitalisation and sometimes even death. Vaccines for the disease are free under the National Immunisation Program for pregnant women, adolescents aged 12 to 13, and children aged two months, four months, six months, 18 months, and four years. According to May, pregnant women must be vaccinated against the disease because 80% of whooping cough deaths occur in infants less than three months of age.
At present, the Kimberley far exceeds the rest of Western Australia in the number of cases. This may be due to increased testing post-COVID, the younger age of the local population, and the presence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities who are more vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases than other ethnic groups. Curtin University public health researcher Jaya Dantas said free vaccinations across the board could be a first step to curb the outbreak. She called on the Department of Health to implement such a measure.