Australia Faces Whooping Cough Crisis as Vaccination Rates Plummet

Alarming surge in pertussis cases linked to declining childhood immunization coverage

Apr. 11, 2026 at 3:23pm

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A startling surge in whooping cough cases has reached a peak not seen in 35 years in Australia, raising concerns among health officials. Recent data shows a troubling connection between the decline in childhood vaccinations and the highest recorded notifications of pertussis since national monitoring began.

Why it matters

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.

The details

According to fresh data, rates of pertussis are on the rise across all states and territories, coinciding with the lowest vaccination rates witnessed in the past decade. 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. The latest whooping cough notifications rate is now 792.1 cases per 100,000 children - an alarming record since tracking began in 1991.

  • 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.
  • 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.

The players

Paul Griffin

Associate Professor and Director of Infectious Diseases at Mater Health Services in Brisbane, who expressed alarm over the vaccination metrics and the urgent need for enhanced action.

Productivity Commission

The government agency that released the latest Report on Government Services highlighting the troubling vaccination trends and rise in whooping cough cases.

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What they’re saying

“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.”

— Paul Griffin, Associate Professor and Director of Infectious Diseases

“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.”

— Paul Griffin, Associate Professor and Director of Infectious Diseases

What’s next

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The takeaway

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