Australians urged to get whooping cough vaccination as infections rise more than tenfold in year

Health authorities say infants are at greatest risk so pregnant women, parents and others in close contact with babies should be vaccinated

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Health authorities across Australia are urging people to get vaccinated as cases of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, continue to surge.

The latest national data shows more than 26,700 cases reported so far in 2024, compared with 2,451 cases for all of 2023. The numbers are being driven by cases in Queensland and NSW.

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