As we navigate through the tail end of a global pandemic, it's easy to forget that other infectious diseases still significantly threaten our health.

Queenslanders are currently facing a severe whooping cough outbreak.

This highly contagious respiratory infection can be particularly dangerous for young children and infants.

Queensland Health authorities have issued an urgent health warning as the number of whooping cough cases has alarmingly increased.

Over 7,000 individuals have been diagnosed with the disease, a staggering jump from the mere 100 cases reported at the same time last year.

Queensland Health warned of a surge in whooping cough cases. Credit: 9News Australia / YouTube

This figure is seven times higher than the peak of the last significant outbreak in 2019, indicating a worrying trend that could have serious implications if not addressed promptly.

The current outbreak has already had a profound impact on families, with heart-wrenching stories emerging, such as that of one-year-old Vivienne.

Her battle with whooping cough was so severe that it became a life-threatening situation.

‘She couldn't breathe, that's why we had to take her to hospital. It was traumatic,’ Vivienne's mother, Rachel Bailey, described the ordeal.

She recounted the traumatic experience of rushing her daughter to the hospital.

Thankfully, doctors informed Rachel that her decision to get vaccinated against whooping cough while pregnant played a crucial role in saving Vivienne's life.

Queensland's Chief Health Officer, John Gerrard, has emphasised that babies under 12 months are at the highest risk of severe disease from whooping cough.

Despite the clear benefits of vaccination, there has been a concerning 7 per cent drop in vaccination rates during pregnancy over the past four years.

This decline is occurring even though the vaccine is provided free of charge.

Brisbane general practitioner Dr Maria Boulton has pointed out that vaccination during pregnancy can reduce the baby's risk of contracting whooping cough by 75 per cent.

The ideal time for a pregnant woman to receive the vaccine is between 20 to 32 weeks of gestation.

The outbreak highlighted the need for broader immunisation coverage.

Currently, children under four years old and those aged 12 to 19 can receive the vaccine for free, and these age groups are disproportionately represented in the current outbreak.

Dr Boulton and other health professionals are advocating for the free jab to be extended to all Queenslanders.

‘We would like to see that extended to also family members, carers, and to everyone, especially now that we're seeing so much whooping cough,’ he said.

Queensland Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has suggested that 'vaccine fatigue' may be contributing to the lower vaccination rates.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the community is experiencing a sense of weariness towards vaccinations, hesitancy, and the spread of misinformation.

Fentiman believes that cost is not the primary barrier but that more needs to be done to combat these issues and encourage widespread vaccination.

‘I'm not sure cost is the barrier,’ she claimed.

‘I think we need to do more as a community to combat vaccine fatigue, vaccine hesitation, and some of the misinformation we have seen coming out of Covid.’

In other news, Australia is grappling with a major whooping cough outbreak, with cases exceeding 11,000 in the past six months.

This trend suggests that 2024 might become the worst year for the disease since 2016.

Whooping cough is highly contagious and particularly dangerous for babies under six months, who are too young to be vaccinated, as well as for those over 65. For more information, click here.

Key Takeaways

• Queensland Health has issued an urgent warning due to a significant rise in whooping cough cases across the state.
• The infection rate is notably higher than in previous years, and there are concerns about low vaccination levels among pregnant women.
• A mother shared her traumatic experience after her one-year-old daughter contracted whooping cough, highlighting the disease's severity.
• There are calls to extend the free vaccination program beyond current eligible groups amidst vaccine fatigue and misinformation concerns.

What do you think are the steps that should be taken to boost vaccination rates in Queensland? How can we tackle vaccine fatigue and misinformation? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

 

[IAN3005]

Well, I have my theories, along with the tuberculose and all the other diseases..... but they shall remain behind closed doors... my lips are sealed......

 

[June E]

Younger people don’t know about those old diseases and how dangerous some of them can be, so they aren’t concerned with getting their kids vaccinated. Also after the covid pandemic so many were against vaccination for different reasons that they didn’t want their kids vaccinated at all ! So if that idea takes hold all those old diseases will take hold again. A lot of information needs to be put out there about vaccinations !

 

[Veggiepatch]

In the mid 1960s, a young girl about my age had whooping cough and it sounded absolutely horrendous. She lived about ten doors down. But no one in the street or suburb contracted whooping cough. We did not have a localised pandemic. Not a mask to be seen. What has changed where whole cities go into lockdown because one person coughed the wrong way.

A knee jerk reaction of highest order!

 

[DLHM]

I’d been immunised against whooping cough yet I got it in my first trimester of my fourth pregnancy. Went through absolute hell for almost 6 weeks. Had 3 children and hubby to look after. They didn’t get it, I assume because they’d been immunised. Guess I drew the short straw.

 

[Colette 3799]

I’d been immunised against whooping cough yet I got it in my first trimester of my fourth pregnancy. Went through absolute hell for almost 6 weeks. Had 3 children and hubby to look after. They didn’t get it, I assume because they’d been immunised. Guess I drew the short straw.

Yeah, I got it after I was immunised when my granddaughter was born. It was awful but maybe it might have been worse if I hadn’t had the jab

 

[Jest]

we will never see the end of this.

 

[Jest]

Well, I have my theories, along with the tuberculose and all the other diseases..... but they shall remain behind closed doors... my lips are sealed......

keep them sealed

 

[relljube]

When it comes to children vaccination is paramount. Enough of the excuses and leftist theories, the triple antigen and polio vaccines should be mandatory. I have seen the aftereffects of all these diseases and it is horrible. BIL at 93 has so much pain in his leg from polio he had in his youth, he can barely walk - very tragic but now preventable. Today ignorance is no excuse

 

[Rob44]

When it comes to children vaccination is paramount. Enough of the excuses and leftist theories, the triple antigen and polio vaccines should be mandatory. I have seen the aftereffects of all these diseases and it is horrible. BIL at 93 has so much pain in his leg from polio he had in his youth, he can barely walk - very tragic but now preventable. Today ignorance is no excuse

You are due for deportation from Trumpistan, I take it?
'
I recall some kids at my Primary school stumping around in calipers. The "iron lung' was quite common in hospitals. After the polio vaccine came in we wee toughies used to brag that it didn't hurt.

In the mid 1960s, a young girl about my age had whooping cough and it sounded absolutely horrendous. She lived about ten doors down. But no one in the street or suburb contracted whooping cough. We did not have a localised pandemic. Not a mask to be seen. What has changed where whole cities go into lockdown because one person coughed the wrong way.

A knee jerk reaction of highest order!

In the 1960s parents used to keep their children at home when they got sick and the children stayed at home until they had recovered. And I would expect that parents of that vintage had gained immunity by having been ill to some extent in their childhood before the days of antibiotics and the now common vaccines. These days, let Childcare look after a herd of variably coughing/sick children! I suppose it is a way of vaccinating parents naturally as the kids will bring home assorted bugs with which to infect their parents. And the parents will have to work to pay for Childcare, so there we go; community-wide natural vaccination. A pity that viruses may mutate more rapidly than does natural vaccination.

IF interested check the human population growth curve before and after 1944-1950. It began its very steep, exponentially curving climb after antibiotics and a number of vaccines came to be and the UN and WHO had begun their world-wide campaigns to provide vaccination programmes and to run aid programmes including health-care. And of course, the CO2-in-atmosphere-content tracks that growth curve very closely; that is the period when cars etc became used by all and sundry to go anywhere rather than walking and cycling.

 

[Scaveola]

If adults kept up their ten yearly boosters for whooping cough which also covers tetanus this disease would not spread. Patients should be educated more about adult vaccination.

 

[Rob44]

If adults kept up their ten yearly boosters for whooping cough which also covers tetanus this disease would not spread. Patients should be educated more about adult vaccination.

Thanks for the reminder!

 

[Robbo3006]

Weren't we whooping cough free? Until the powers to be decided to open our borders. They are elected to care for Us not expose us to every threat known to man.

 

[Rob44]

Weren't we whooping cough free? Until the powers to be decided to open our borders. They are elected to care for Us not expose us to every threat known to man.

I thought Australia's borders had been open for a very long time, even to Kiwis, although lesser mortals from Pomgolia had to have visas after the 10 pound Pom days had been ended. Tourists from decent countries, such as the USA, have been coming here for a long time. Who knows what bugs they bring in by aeroplane?

 

[Towing]

When it comes to children vaccination is paramount. Enough of the excuses and leftist theories, the triple antigen and polio vaccines should be mandatory. I have seen the aftereffects of all these diseases and it is horrible. BIL at 93 has so much pain in his leg from polio he had in his youth, he can barely walk - very tragic but now preventable. Today ignorance is no excuse

An Aunty of mine had Polio. She never regained full strength in one of her arms.

 

[Towing]

Well, I have my theories, along with the tuberculose and all the other diseases..... but they shall remain behind closed doors... my lips are sealed......

SA had a very large outbreak of TB in the early 1900s. So many they built an isolation facility near Blinman. At the large Blinman Cemetery there is hundreds of graves. There is a huge number of babies' graves.

 

[Rob44]

SA had a very large outbreak of TB in the early 1900s. So many they built an isolation facility near Blinman. At the large Blinman Cemetery there is hundreds of graves. There is a huge number of babies' graves.

Yes; TB was around in the UK until a decent health-care system including a mass X-ray system and subsequently a mass vaccination programme came into being. Thanks, UK Labour Party of 1945-1950 and 1964-66.

The schools' mass testing and subsequent BCG vaccination programme of the 1960s helped reduce the incidence of TB. No anti-vaxxers in those days as people had more wisdom.