Victoria's health authorities have issued new warnings over the rising number of cases of whooping cough.
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00:00Victoria has now recorded more than 1,300 cases of whooping cough so far this year.
00:07That's more than four times the number of cases that were recorded in the entirety of
00:12last year.
00:13And it's prompted a new health alert from the acting Chief Health Officer, Dr Evelyn
00:16Wong, who's urging people to stay alert for symptoms, to get tested and treated as quickly
00:21as possible, to make sure vaccinations and boosters are up to date.
00:26So of course, whooping cough can appear as a standard respiratory illness in its early
00:30stages at least, but it can last in the body for so long and is such a risk to babies,
00:36potentially life-threatening to those who can't be immunised.
00:40And it's not just a problem here in Victoria.
00:43We've seen these cases climbing this year in many parts of the country.
00:46New South Wales and Queensland now recording cases in their thousands as well.
00:50New South Wales, for example, last year saw 914 cases in the entire year.
00:56So far, seven months into 2024, they've seen 6,155 cases.
01:02It is typical for whooping cough cases to spike every couple of years here in Australia.
01:07But the last spike that was expected back in 2020 or so was delayed because of the coronavirus
01:13pandemic.
01:14That is authorities concerned because this spike now is tracking to be the worst we've
01:19seen in a decade.
01:21So fresh alert as we head further into the winter months to stay alert and to do your
01:26part to protect those most vulnerable.