A startling surge in whooping cough cases has reached a peak not seen in 35 years, raising eyebrows and concern among health officials. Recent statistics reveal a troubling connection between the decline in childhood vaccinations and the highest recorded notifications of pertussis since national monitoring began.
According to fresh data released by the Productivity Commission, rates of pertussis are on the rise across all states and territories in Australia, coinciding with the lowest vaccination rates witnessed in the past decade. The latest Report on Government Services (RoGS) highlights that in the period from 2024 to 2025, the percentage of children who are fully immunized under the National Immunisation Program fell to some of the lowest figures since 2015-2016.
To put this into perspective, in 2015-2016, the immunization rates stood at 91.6% for one-year-olds, 89.8% for two-year-olds, and 93.3% for five-year-olds. Fast forward to the current year, the startling figure for whooping cough notifications is now 792.1 cases per 100,000 children—an alarming record since tracking began in 1991.
The Productivity Commission has noted that the current rise in whooping cough cases may stem from various factors, including diminishing vaccination coverage, waning immunity over time, and a general decrease in exposure to the disease during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For children under the age of 14, last year's vaccination statistics revealed:
* A dramatic increase to 792.1 notifications per 100,000 children for pertussis, a significant leap from the previous year's rate of 201.2 per 100,000.
* A steady rate of 0.5 per 100,000 for measles, maintaining consistency with average annual notifications over the past decade.
* A stable rate of 0.1 per 100,000 for Haemophilus influenzae type b, unchanged since 2022-2023.
Additionally, concerning trends emerge for seasonal influenza vaccinations: only 58.4% of individuals aged 65 and older received their flu shots, with an even lower uptake among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations at just 56.6%.
Associate Professor Paul Griffin, who directs Infectious Diseases at Mater Health Services in Brisbane, expressed his alarm regarding the vaccination metrics. He emphasized that what may seem like minor declines over time actually represents a significant shift in community immunity and, consequently, poses greater risks to public health.
He remarked, "It’s no coincidence that we’re continuously hearing about unprecedented numbers of flu cases, the resurgence of whooping cough, and the return of measles, particularly when vaccination rates have dropped to these levels. This situation is critical and clearly indicates an urgent need for enhanced action to address these issues."
Griffin did suggest that advances in diagnostics and increased awareness of pertussis could contribute to the uptick in reported cases compared to three decades ago. However, he firmly stated that these factors can't solely account for the alarmingly high numbers we're currently witnessing.
He explained, "The decrease in vaccination rates is undeniably linked to the rise in whooping cough incidents. The effectiveness of the pertussis vaccine is well-established, but for some individuals—particularly young children who haven't had the chance to be vaccinated or those whose immune systems may not respond adequately—the risk of contracting this serious infection is elevated, leading to potentially severe outcomes. This reality should capture everyone's attention."
In terms of influenza, Griffin pointed out that last year was notably challenging due to the emergence of a new strain known as Subclade K. He highlighted that the declining vaccination rates across most age groups significantly increase the vulnerability of the population.
"While the flu vaccine might not entirely prevent infection, it greatly alleviates the severity of illness, making individuals far less likely to require hospitalization," he said. "This directly impacts our healthcare system, which is already limited in resources and often stretched thin. If we could boost flu vaccination rates, we could keep more people out of hospitals and reduce the burden on general practitioners, thereby enhancing the overall functionality of our health infrastructure."
Despite free access to influenza vaccines for high-risk groups—and at times free for everyone in certain states—this has not translated into higher uptake levels. Griffin stressed the importance of understanding the underlying barriers and challenges to vaccination, advocating for a more proactive approach to tackle these issues rather than resigning to the notion that it's increasingly difficult to encourage vaccinations.
"We must delve deeper and actively seek solutions to these problems," he urged.
He also noted that influenza is often undervalued, especially in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We've focused so heavily on the seriousness of COVID-19 and its repercussions that many have lost sight of the fact that influenza is a significant viral infection in its own right. We need to ramp up efforts to address this."
Furthermore, Griffin mentioned that accessing accurate vaccination information can be quite challenging, exacerbated by the proliferation of misinformation, even from certain medical professionals. "It's vital that individuals receive their information from trustworthy sources—those who are directly involved in vaccinations, such as GPs, pharmacists, and nurses—so they can make informed decisions."
He concluded by emphasizing the necessity for a unified front in disseminating accurate information to educate the public and improve the uptake of all vaccines.
For those interested in delving deeper into these vaccination trends and their implications, visit the Report on Government Services 2026.
