Australians urged to vaccinate babies and care givers against whooping cough

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDJan 18 2011

The number of cases of the deadly whooping cough in the Hume region in Victoria, including Wodonga, last year increased fivefold from those diagnosed in 2008. A total 67 cases were reported in Albury last year but across the Greater Southern region there were more than 1,000 cases. The outbreak reached its peak in September. In the last three years 1,416 West Australians contracted the disease, three of whom died.

Border health authorities are warning parents and grandparents with newborn babies to get a shot. According to them vaccine for the highly contagious and potentially deadly disease is only effective for five to eight years, while immunity for those previously diagnosed with whooping cough has a similar time span. Whooping cough known also as pertussis is an acute infection of the respiratory system, which is transmitted through respiratory droplets when an infected person talks, sneezes or coughs.  It is the cause of severe health problems in young babies and children, which may include pneumonia, seizures and in some cases, permanent disability or death.

Director of the public health unit in Albury, Tracey Oakman warned that the region is facing a whooping cough epidemic in the latter part of the year. “Those most at risk are babies who are only fully immunized after their third shot at six months…The issue is that the vaccine is effective for about five to eight years and the immunity for those that have had a bout of whooping cough is about the same duration...So unless parents, grandparents or those involved in the care of that baby have had the adult booster shot they are at risk and can spread the disease,” she said.

Associate Professor Peter Richmond, a child health expert also said that there is a high transfer of the disease in families as parents who have not been immunized and who are unaware of having the infection themselves, pass it onto their young children. “Unfortunately young babies who are too young to be vaccinated, less than two months of age, are the ones who get the most severe disease and occasionally death,” he said.

Oakman added, “Having said that the majority of cases we saw last year were in five to 14-year-olds, generally because they are exposed at school… The vaccine itself is only about 85 per cent effective so that leaves about 15 in every 100 people again at risk.” She explained that whooping cough that usually manifests as a croupy exhaustive cough may sometimes appear different. “It can be quite different in older people and can often be misdiagnosed,” she said.

Wodonga Council environmental health team leader Suzanne Walker pointed out that dads often missed out on the shots. She said, “The mother is reminded of the need for a booster shot after the baby is born but the father, who is not a patient of the hospital, is often overlooked… It is also important children receive booster shots at four and 15.” The Health Minister Kim Hames is also urging parents of young babies to take advantage of the free whooping cough vaccinations adding, “Fifty per cent of the infections come from the adult and an adult doesn’t necessarily know they’ve got the infection because the symptoms aren’t that severe.” He pointed out that although the number of reported infections in WA was lower than in the rest of the country, cases are on the rise.

The free vaccines are available from maternity hospitals and community health immunization centres until the end of June.