Free Whooping Cough Vaccinations Approved For Pregnant Mums

Pregnant women in Western Australia can now receive free vaccinations against whooping cough in the third trimester of their pregnancy. The state government has given a go-signal for the approval of the programme.

The free vaccination programme was announced on March 19 in response to the death of 4-week-old baby Riley Hughes, who died on Tuseday, March 17, at Princess Margaret Hospital. Since Riley’s death, his parents, Cath and Greg, have started a campaign to fight against whooping cough, also known as pertussis.

Both Riley’s parents encourage people to get protection from the deadly disease through vaccinations, even creating a tribute page on Facebook. More than 60,000 people have signed up to the page “Light for Riley,” which was set up by his family to provide awareness about whooping cough.

Whooping cough is a deadly, highly contagious respiratory infection, marked by sustained coughing. Symptoms usually start to show after 10 days of exposure, which include a notable cough characterised by a "whoop" sound. It commonly affects unvaccinated children.

Western Australia happens to have the lowest rate of vaccination. Riley’s death is the fifth recorded case in WA, and the first since 2011. The WA Health Department reports that there have already been 244 cases of whooping cough just this year, 2015, compared to 292 from 2014 and 232 cases during the first 10 weeks of 2013. Doctors strongly recommend vaccinations against whooping cough since immunity from the bacteria that cause it will eventually diminish in four to five years’ time.

New South Wales and Victoria also announced that they offer free vaccinations to pregnant women. In WA, parents are encouraged to complete five pertussis vaccinations for their children starting at two months, with a booster to be given in the 7th or 8th year. The five-round pertussis vaccination for children is free and funded by the government.

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