WA Health is today joining forces with health experts across the country by marking Australia’s first ever Whooping Cough Day.
The ‘Stay Up to Date: Vaccinate!’ campaign is an initiative of the Immunisation Foundation of Australia (IFA).
It aims to raise awareness about the risks associated with whooping cough (also known as pertussis) while encouraging all Western Australians to make sure they are up to date with their whooping cough vaccinations.
WA Health’s Senior Medical Adviser for Communicable Disease Control Dr Paul Effler urged people to make sure that their vaccinations are current.
“Whooping cough is a potentially fatal bacterial infection which attacks the airways causing uncontrollable coughing and difficulty breathing,” he said.
“It is highly infectious and is transmitted through droplets produced by coughing or sneezing.
“Immunisation is the best way for people of all age groups to protect themselves and others against contracting the virus.
“An infected person may inadvertently spread whooping cough to many friends and family members, including vulnerable infants.”
Babies are at greatest risk of severe illness with 80% of whooping cough deaths occurring among infants less than three months old. Immunisation of pregnant women offers the baby protection until the child can receive their own vaccinations starting at six weeks of age.
Whooping cough can cause serious illness in older children and adults while people with asthma are four times at greater risk of being hospitalised with whooping cough.
Dr Effler said whooping cough was previously referred to as the ‘100-day cough’ as it can persist for months and can be so severe that it could cause vomiting, broken ribs and hospitalisation.
“More than half the cases in Australia occur in adults yet many people are not aware that a booster vaccine is required at least every 10 years,” he said.
“Whooping Cough Day is a timely reminder that we all have a role to play in controlling the spread of the disease and reducing the risk of infection, regardless of our age.”
Symptoms generally appear seven to 10 days after infection and include a mild fever, runny nose and cough, which in typical cases gradually develops into a hacking cough followed by “whooping” (hence the common name of whooping cough). Pneumonia is a relatively common complication, and seizures and brain disease occur rarely.
The IFA announced their first project in 2015, ‘Light for Riley’, to honour the short life of baby Riley Hughes who passed away at just 32 days old after contracting pneumonia followed by whooping cough.
The project continues to raise awareness about the disease, potential complications, and the importance of vaccination.
The whooping cough combination vaccine is free under the National Immunisation Program(NIP) for:
- Children aged 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 18 months and 4 years
- Adolescents aged 12-13 years through school-based vaccination programs
- Pregnant women (ideally between 20-32 weeks).
Vaccinations are available at community health immunisation clinics, participating GPs, pharmacies and Aboriginal Medical Services. While the vaccine is free under the NIP for eligible people the immunisation provider may charge a consultation fee for the visit. Check if there are any fees when making an appointment.
A booster for adults is also recommended if their last whooping cough vaccination was more than 10 years ago but this is not funded under the NIP.
For more information about whooping cough, visit the HealthyWA website.
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