With only a third of pregnant Queensland women getting vaccinated, doctors worry that cases of whooping cough in newborns will continue to spike across the state.
"This year across the state we've had roughly a 50 per cent increase in diagnoses of whooping cough, which is really terrible news," Dr Redmond said.The condition causes severe respiratory problems and can be fatal for babies.
"It's very tragic for families and obviously it is awful to see your child unwell, it is very distressing," she said. "Whooping cough vaccination during pregnancy boosts maternal antibodies, which are transferred to the foetus through the placenta, providing some immunity to the newborn baby until they can receive their first dose of vaccine around six weeks of age."
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