Free whooping cough vaccinations are now available to WA parents with young children.
State Health Minister Kim Hames says parents should take advantage of the vaccine to help prevent the spread of the infection to their babies, who are the most vulnerable to catching it.
“Australian research has shown that about 50 per cent of babies who catch whooping cough get it from a family member, most usually a parent,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Often a parent won't even know they have the infection because they may have more mild symptoms and don't often produce the 'whoop' after a coughing spell, like young children and babies do.”
The free vaccines will be available from maternity hospitals and community health immunisation centres until June 30, 2011, with a possible extension pending an assessment of uptake and ongoing need.
Dr Hames said although WA had received fewer whooping cough notifications than other states and territories over the past five years, infection rates were rising since the last severe epidemic in 2004.
Whooping cough can cause severe health problems in young babies, including pneumonia, seizures and in some cases, permanent disability or death.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is an acute respiratory infection transmitted through respiratory droplets when an infected person talks, sneezes or coughs.
The classic 'whooping' sound associated with pertussis is created when a patient is forced to breathe in vigorously in order to catch their breath following an extended coughing fit.