高清福利片

高清福利片 headlines in multiple states have warned of whooping cough outbreaks over recent weeks and months. Most recently,聽聽has reported a surge, highest in the state鈥檚 south-west.

Young infants are at the greatest risk of severe disease and death as whooping cough numbers continue to climb.

So why has it been such a big year for whooping cough? And how can we prevent this dangerous disease spreading further?

Whooping cough is聽聽that affects the lungs and airways. It鈥檚 caused by the bacterium聽Bordetella pertussis. Like other respiratory infections, it passes easily from person to person via coughing, sneezing or talking.

Adults and children can get sick with whooping cough and suffer prolonged periods of coughing that may last weeks or months. In infants, the cough is characterised by a 鈥渨hoop鈥� sound when they breathe in, and they may vomit after coughing. In some cases, there may be no cough at all, and babies under one year can experience聽聽or turn blue.

Babies younger than six months are particularly vulnerable to whooping cough as they鈥檙e not yet fully immunised. Infants under four months have the聽. Around聽聽hospitalised children under one may die from the infection.

Whooping cough is聽聽that affects the lungs and airways. It鈥檚 caused by the bacterium聽Bordetella pertussis. Like other respiratory infections, it passes easily from person to person via coughing, sneezing or talking.

Adults and children can get sick with whooping cough and suffer prolonged periods of coughing that may last weeks or months. In infants, the cough is characterised by a 鈥渨hoop鈥� sound when they breathe in, and they may vomit after coughing. In some cases, there may be no cough at all, and babies under one year can experience聽聽or turn blue.

Babies younger than six months are particularly vulnerable to whooping cough as they鈥檙e not yet fully immunised. Infants under four months have the聽. Around聽聽hospitalised children under one may die from the infection.

Along with other infectious diseases, including viral infections such as聽聽and bacterial infections such as聽, whooping cough聽聽at the height of the COVID pandemic.

After social distancing measures were eased, we鈥檝e seen a higher-than-usual burden of circulating respiratory infections. This is particularly true for children, who had聽聽during the lockdown period than they would normally have.

Whooping cough usually surges every聽, but social distancing, border controls, lockdowns and mask wearing during the pandemic meant our last peak occurred聽. Therefore many people now have less immunity to whooping cough than normal.

Further, whooping cough is highly infectious and immunity 鈥� from either immunisation or natural infection 鈥撀�. This leaves people vulnerable to repeat infections.

Immunisation is the best way to protect both yourself and vulnerable babies from whooping cough infections.

滨苍听, children receive six pertussis vaccinations at the ages of six weeks, four months and six months (the primary course). 鈥淏ooster鈥� doses are given at 18 months, age four and year 7.

Maternal vaccination is the best way to protect very young infants. Whooping cough booster doses are recommended for pregnant women, from 20 weeks of pregnancy, in聽.

This allows the transfer of protective antibodies to the baby, reducing the chances of catching whooping cough during their first few months of life 鈥� particularly before receiving聽聽at six weeks.

Booster doses are also recommended for health-care workers and adults who come into close contact with infants, or care for young babies.

罢丑别听聽recommended currently are good at providing protection against severe whooping cough (around聽). They are less able to protect against milder infections in children. This means they don鈥檛 have much impact on聽聽of whooping cough, which tends to occur when people with milder infections are well enough to be out and about in the community.

Whooping cough vaccines available in Australia are 鈥渁cellular鈥� vaccines. These are made using purified proteins, rather than 鈥渨hole cell鈥� inactivated vaccines (based on a whole inactivated version of聽Bordetella pertussis).

Whole cell vaccines were used previously and provoked a better immune response, but were also associated with聽, such as fever or reactions at the injection site. The acellular vaccines cause fewer side effects and are very safe, but may result in a slightly lower immune response, which also wanes over time.

To address this,聽聽to reconsider the role of the whole cell vaccine. Other research is testing novel vaccine delivery methods, such as a聽, which may be able to better reduce community transmission of whooping cough.

The COVID pandemic resulted in drops in聽. This was due to a combination of practical access issues 鈥� for example, people were concerned about catching COVID when visiting their GP 鈥� and lower聽. The latter resulted from a rise in vaccine misinformation on social media, mistrust in government, and increased scrutiny of vaccine safety, among other factors.

Across Australia, up-to-date pertussis vaccination coverage in young children declined from聽. This drop represents thousands of children and sends us further below our 95% coverage target.

Coverage was even lower in adolescents in 2022 (), with many children missing their year 7 booster doses.

We haven鈥檛 previously had good national data on maternal vaccination, because historically the Australian Immunisation Register didn鈥檛 record pregnancy status. But聽聽has shown coverage is variable in expectant mothers (between 49% and 89%). Rates are particularly low among Indigenous women, culturally and linguistically diverse women and those of lower socioeconomic status.

Recent updates to the Australian Immunisation Register, allowing documentation of pregnancy, will improve our understanding of vaccine coverage in this group.

It鈥檚 essential pregnant women and parents ensure they and their children are up to date with routine vaccinations. This will help protect everyone against vaccine-preventable illnesses, including young infants who are most vulnerable to getting very sick from whooping cough and other infections.

Candice Holland from Queensland Health contributed to this article.

The article was originally published in as "Whooping cough can be deadly for young babies. Vaccination is our best聽defence." Written by Dr Phoebe Williams,聽Paediatrician & Infectious Diseases Physician, University of Sydney.聽 Archana Koirala,聽Paediatrician and Infectious Diseases Specialist, University of Sydney.聽Katie Louise Flanagan,聽Infectious Diseases Specialist and Clinical Professor, University of Tasmania.聽Margie Danchin, Paediatrician at the Royal Childrens Hospital and Associate Professor and Clinician Scientist, University of Melbourne.

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