Whooping cough vaccination program expanded in Queensland

Whooping cough vaccination program expanded in Queensland
Combating whooping cough is becoming quite a thorny job for the Queensland government - more so as the risk of the illness in the state is witnessing a steady increase.
To tackle the situation, the Queensland government has expanded the free whooping cough vaccination program to cover the close relationships of the people suffering from the ailment. In July 2009, the government had announced the program to include new parents.
The move to expand the program comes after a 2.7 percent increase in whooping cough cases was reported in Queensland to 8,021 in 2010, vis-a-vis the 2009 figure of 6,213 cases. What is more alarming is the fact that nearly 1333 cases of the illness have already been reported in the state this year.
Talking about the expansion of the program, Health Minister Geoff Wilson said in a statement: "The free whooping cough vaccination program now includes parents, foster parents, adoptive parents, and grandparents of babies under six months of age and anyone living in a household with a baby under six months of age."
Wilson elaborated that the expansion of the program implies that almost two times more people will now be eligible for whooping cough vaccinations; underscoring the potential for better protection against the illness and better health prospects for the youngest Queenslanders.
Eligible for the whooping cough vaccination? - Get in touch with your normal immunisation provider!