SKYROCKETING cases of whooping cough in Queensland and the Northern Territory have sparked calls for residents to get vaccinated.
The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) is urging the Queensland Government to make whooping couch vaccinations free for everyone.
Parts of the state have seen a 153% spike in cases compared to last year, with the south-west seeing 38 confirmed cases.
RACGP Queensland Chair Dr Cathryn Hester said she is concerned for infants due to the falling vaccination rate and signs of complacency.
"Apart from being very risky for infants and patients with low immune function, pertussis is downright uncomfortable and can result in severe airways sensitivity for months," Dr Hester said.
The organisation has called on the government to fund a vaccination program for people not covered by the National Immunisation Program.
In the Northern Territory, rates of the disease are eight times higher in 2025 than expected and can have dire consequences for children.
"Unfortunately, we're heading in the wrong direction in recent years on vaccination rates, and since the COVID-19 pandemic, some people have become more casual about other infectious diseases such as whooping cough," said RACGP NT Chair Dr Sam Heard.
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