The Australian Medical Association reports that Australia is currently experiencing its most significant and long-lasting pertussis outbreak in decades, with more than 57,000 cases reported in 2024 alone, the highest annual total since 1991.
In Western Australia, 2025 notifications are close to 1500 cases (1485 at time of publication), rising from 1314 in 2024 and a staggering increase on 78 cases in 2023. The Kimberley and South West regions are seeing particularly high rates of infection with 80 and 177 notified cases respectively.
Resources to support vaccination conversations with pregnant women, parents and caregivers include:
- Healthy WA – Whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine in pregnancy
- The Kids Research Institute Australia – Whooping Cough | Parent Resources
- The Kids Research Institute Australia – Whooping cough fact sheet
More information for clinicians is available on the WA Health website