Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Politics
Melissa Davey Medical editor

Why are whooping cough infections surging in Australia and should you get a booster jab?

Boy being vaccinated
Pertussis (whooping cough) is a highly contagious respiratory infection that spreads through droplets produced when coughing and sneezing. Photograph: Jovanmandic/Getty Images

There has been a stark rise in cases of pertussis – known as whooping cough –this year compared with the last two years, with 10,035 cases reported to health departments around Australia so far in 2024, after just 2,447 in the whole of 2023 and 482 in 2022.

Exacerbating the increase in cases are shortages of antibiotics.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.