With the nation’s inaugural Whooping Cough Day held on November 8, Immunisation Foundation of Australia Executive Director Catherine Hughes shares why it’s critical to vaccinate against the highly contagious respiratory tract infection and points to the significant role pharmacists and pharmacy assistants play in its prevention.
Tell us about yourself and your role at the Immunisation Foundation of Australia
In 2015, I unexpectedly lost my infant son Riley to whooping cough. He was just one month old, too young to be vaccinated, and he had fought hard in hospital for five days until his tiny body succumbed to the infection. Utterly devastated, my husband and I immediately went to work advocating for the introduction of whooping cough vaccines for pregnant women, which are now available to all Australian women in each and every pregnancy. Through our advocacy campaign, named ‘Light for Riley’, we’ve done our best to shine a light on the dangers of whooping cough and the importance of pregnancy vaccination. We both remain so passionate about doing whatever we can to protect others from vaccine-preventable diseases.
I now work as the Executive Director of the Immunisation Foundation of Australia, where I work closely with consumers, community organisations, healthcare professionals and government agencies to develop and implement evidence based campaigns and strategies that address barriers to immunisation and promote vaccine uptake.
Why was the IFA founded and what are its mission and goals?
The Immunisation Foundation of Australia is a patient advocacy group and not-for-profit organisation we established in 2016, dedicated to promoting immunisation and supporting immunisation initiatives and research throughout Australia. Believing in the importance of parents and community members standing up to support immunisation, our mission is to inspire everyone to advocate for immunisation, helping to protect babies, families and communities from vaccine preventable diseases.
Please tell us about Whooping Cough Day.
Whooping Cough Day is brand new to Australia. It’s an idea we came up with after realising that many Australian adults have no idea when they last had a whooping cough booster. With the theme ‘Stay Up-To-Date. Vaccinate’ the campaign encourages people to check if they’re up to date with whooping cough vaccination, providing practical information about boosters and how to access them, and emphasising the importance of adult, pregnancy and childhood protection.
Our hope is that Australians from all walks of life will take action to remain up to date with whooping cough vaccination. We all have a role to play in controlling the spread of whooping cough and reducing the risk of infection, no matter our age.
Why is it important to shine the awareness spotlight on whooping cough and the whooping cough vaccination?
Our campaign comes amid concerns by infectious disease experts that Australia is well overdue for a whooping cough epidemic. Usually, we see outbreaks of this disease every three to five years, but our most recent epidemic peaked back in 2015. So, the next epidemic really could be right around the corner. Given that over half of all whooping cough cases occur in adults, and that more than 80 per cent of Australian adults cannot recall ever having a booster, we think now is the perfect time to urge Australian adults to get up to date.
How has the IFA collaborated with healthcare professionals and organisations to raise awareness about whooping cough?
Knowing the important role that pharmacists play in the immunisation space, we’re delighted to partner with Terry White Chemmart on our Whooping Cough Day campaign. We also travel the country speaking with healthcare providers at conferences, presenting to medical students, midwives, nurses, doctors and infectious disease researchers. We know that the biggest influence in the acceptance of a whooping cough vaccine is a clear recommendation from a healthcare provider, so it’s really important for us to engage with healthcare professionals as much as we can.
What is the impact of whooping cough on infants and young children, and how can vaccination help protect them?
Whooping cough is something you never want your baby or child to experience. I’ve connected with a number of families who, like my own, have lost their babies to this disease. It usually starts with a cough, but can end with pneumonia, brain damage and death. It can be really nasty in adults too. The cough can last for months – it’s sometimes referred to as the 100-day cough – and can lead to broken ribs, incontinence and severe sleep disturbance. We’re lucky to have vaccines for whooping cough, but they don’t last forever. Whooping cough boosters are recommended for adults at least every 10 years, to help maintain protection against this highly infectious disease.
Why is a whole community effort necessary to protect against whooping cough? Whooping cough is one of the most contagious diseases in the world – more contagious than influenza, measles and COVID-19. An infected person may unwittingly spread whooping cough to up to 17 unvaccinated people, so it’s really crucial that people stay up to date on their boosters and reduce their chance of contracting and spreading this disease. We all have a role to play in protecting our most vulnerable.
What are some common misconceptions about whooping cough?
I think some people believe that whooping cough vaccines are just for children, but that’s not the case. They’re recommended at every stage of life. Others may mistakenly believe that because they contracted whooping cough previously, this makes them immune, which is also not the case.
How can pharmacy assistants help to encourage customers to stay up to date with their whooping cough immunisation?
Pharmacy assistants can play a vital role in encouraging us all to stay up to date with our whooping cough vaccines. Some ideas include:
- Asking customers about their vaccination history, helping to identify those at risk of whooping cough and encouraging them to get vaccinated.
- Offering on-the-spot vaccines or offering to book appointments for those due for a booster.
- Providing information about whooping cough and the importance of vaccination to those who want to know more.
How can pharmacists and pharmacy assistants help to generate awareness about whooping cough and the importance of immunisation?
Displaying posters and flyers in the pharmacy is a great way to increase awareness about whooping cough and immunisation. We have some available on our website.
Being able to recall two or three impactful, persuasive facts about the disease can also be really helpful in improving community awareness of this disease and the need for vaccination. These facts could include things like, ‘whooping cough is one of the most infectious diseases in the world’, ‘whooping cough can leave people coughing for 100 days’ and ‘whooping cough can be fatal in babies’. These simple, memorable facts can be powerful tools for education and persuasion, and ultimately help to keep the Australian community better protected from this insidious disease.
Learn more at: ifa.org.au/whoopingcoughday
This article was published in Retail Pharmacy Assistants e-magazine Nov/Dec
