An epidemic of babies contracting whooping cough in Victoria, has prompted the State to release an urgent warning about adults getting their booster shots.

There has been a 70% increase since last year on cases that have been treated. Some reports have stated as high as 2500 babies have been treated for whooping cough so far this year.

Doctors are warning adults need to get a booster shot as their childhood vaccinations wear off which leaves them susceptible to the contagious respiratory condition.

While for adults, it may be just a persistent cough, for babies, whooping cough can be deadly. One in every 200 newborns exposed will die. Babies are the most vulnerable to the illness as they can’t be vaccinated until they are 6 weeks old.

The Department of Health and Human Services has released data stating between January 1 to June 10, 2324 cases have been reported, yet in the previous year there were only 972 cases in the same period.

The chairman of the Australian Medical Association Victoria’s section of general practice, Dr Michael Levick, said the increase in cases has been caused by a number of factors including natural variations and effectiveness of the vaccine. The more people immunized, the lower the illness spreads in the community.

“No vaccine is 100 per cent effective and with whooping cough, many adults have been immunised as a baby, child and teenager, but by the time they are 25, 35 and 45, they need a booster,” he said.

“It can take up to six months for a baby to be fully protected by the vaccine, making them highly vulnerable. The more adults that have the immunisation, the less chance of the bacteria spreading; it’s what we call herd immunity,” Dr Levick said.

We only have to read about Light for Riley and 6-month-old Isabelle in Canada to see just how devastating the illness can be for newborns. We should be doing all we can to protect those less vulnerable, if we are able to do so.