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Doctor Rosemary Lester, chief health officer of Victoria said the majority of whooping cough cases occur in older children as their immunity from their childhood vaccination fades over time. Thus, year 7 students will receive their vaccination this year so as to address the increasing cases of whooping cough.
Records showed a 58% increase in the number of cases with 4615 cases in 2014 from the 2926 the previous year. The vaccine will also protect the children from diphtheria and tetanus as whooping cough could become a contagious respiratory infection, especially among infants that could result in complications like pneumonia, apnoea, convulsions, and bleeding. Officials said the vaccine will be available in the months after a tender process in sourcing for the vaccine.
