Australia is facing a public health crisis as a dramatic drop in childhood vaccination rates has led to a surge in whooping cough cases, reaching levels not seen in 35 years! Experts are sounding the alarm, calling the decline in immunization rates "potentially catastrophic." But here's where it gets concerning: this isn't just about whooping cough; other preventable diseases are also making a comeback.
Infectious disease specialists are pointing to a significant increase in whooping cough, also known as pertussis, a highly contagious respiratory illness. The latest figures from a Productivity Commission report reveal that in 2024-25, the rate of whooping cough among Australian children soared to nearly 800 cases per 100,000. To put that into perspective, the average rate during the pre-pandemic years (2015-16 to 2018-19) was a much lower 183.5 per 100,000 children. And this is the part most people miss: the Australian Centre for Disease Control's surveillance system confirmed a staggering 57,257 whooping cough cases in 2024, with a substantial 37,663 of these affecting infants and children up to 14 years old. This marked the highest annual total since 1991!
New South Wales (NSW) bore a significant burden, with almost 26,000 cases, followed by Queensland with over 15,000 cases. Adding to the concern, another 25,272 notifications were confirmed in 2025. Whooping cough, caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, can be a serious, even fatal, infection, characterized by prolonged, severe coughing fits that can last for months. Early symptoms often mimic a common cold, with a runny nose, sneezing, and a mild dry cough in the first week, but it can escalate dramatically thereafter.
Dr. Archana Koirala, a pediatrician and infectious diseases specialist, suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic's lockdowns and social distancing measures played a role. "The bacteria is spread similarly to how viruses are spread, and so if you restrict people from coming into contact with each other, the bacteria is restricted in its spread as well," she explained. During periods of reduced social interaction, children who were vaccinated didn't get the usual exposure that would have naturally boosted their immunity. This, coupled with a documented decline in vaccination coverage across Australia, created a "perfect storm for an outbreak." When immunity wanes in vaccinated individuals and a portion of the population misses their timely vaccinations, the stage is set for a resurgence.
Australia's routine childhood immunization program, which starts from birth and continues until age four, aims to protect against a range of diseases, including hepatitis B, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, rotavirus, measles, meningococcal, and influenza. Dr. Paul Griffin, Director of Infectious Diseases at Mater Health Services, echoes these concerns, stating, "The unfortunate reality is that when vaccination rates decline, population susceptibility and therefore risk goes up, and these things will increase." He warns that if this trend continues, we could see a resurgence of many vaccine-preventable diseases that are currently well-controlled.
Recent data from September last year revealed that vaccination coverage rates for one-year-olds were 91.54%, for two-year-olds 89.57%, and for five-year-olds 93.17%. All these figures fall short of the national target of 95%. This represents the lowest national coverage for one-year-olds since 2014, for two-year-olds since 2015, and for five-year-olds since 2016. Dr. Griffin emphasizes, "Even a slight decline in vaccination can have a big impact on population immunity and case numbers and burden of disease." He adds, "We know [whooping cough] is a devastating infection, particularly in those most vulnerable, and we need to make sure we don't continue to see this trend into the future."
Adding to the alarming trend, Dr. Koirala notes that the dip in childhood vaccination rates has coincided with a rise in measles cases. The Australian Centre for Disease Control reported 181 confirmed measles cases in 2025, a significant jump from 57 cases in the previous year. So far this year, about 30 cases have been detected. If vaccination rates don't improve, Australia risks a "disastrous re-emergence of diseases that we have almost eliminated," including endemic measles. It's a stark reminder that Australia was among the first four nations globally to eliminate the constant local transmission of measles in 2014. "We're really worried because measles is a very infectious virus and we know that when the coverage gets below 95 per cent in the population, that's when large outbreaks have occurred," Dr. Koirala warns. "We'll see a measles death, we'll see a whooping cough death… and if vaccine hesitancy increases, we'll have more circulation of the bacteria."
But here's where it gets deeply personal and raises serious questions about the role of social media: Catherine Hughes, co-founder of the Immunisation Foundation of Australia, tragically lost her son Riley to whooping cough at just 32 days old in 2015. Witnessing the current decline in vaccination rates, she states, "makes your heart sink." She vividly recalls the agonizing experience of watching her baby worsen in the hospital, a preventable tragedy. The fact that childhood immunization rates are at a 10-year low is deeply troubling to her, and she fears this trend will persist.
Ms. Hughes has become a passionate advocate for immunization, particularly concerned about the proliferation of misinformation and "anti-vaccine propaganda" on social media platforms. She notes that while social media companies once employed fact-checkers, this practice has largely been discontinued in the last 12 to 18 months. This, she believes, "all it really does is serve as a reminder to me of why it's important that we continue to speak out… about the importance of vaccination."
Dr. Griffin believes that navigating the vaccination landscape has become increasingly challenging, with misinformation easily overshadowing accurate information. "We need to be more proactive in getting good information out there," he urges. "Make sure people know where the good sources of information are, empower our frontline workers in this regard, our pharmacists and our GPs with good information and the time and resources to be able to spend time with patients, with parents to be able to make sure that everyone gets the right information."
This situation raises critical questions: Is the decline in vaccination rates a direct consequence of pandemic-related disruptions, or is it a symptom of deeper societal issues, including the unchecked spread of misinformation online? How can we effectively combat anti-vaccine sentiment and ensure that parents have access to reliable, evidence-based information? What responsibility do social media platforms have in curbing the spread of harmful health misinformation?
What are your thoughts on this critical issue? Do you believe social media companies should reinstate fact-checking measures for health-related content? Share your agreement or disagreement in the comments below!
