Diphtheria Outbreak in Western Australia: A Call for Federal Support
The diphtheria outbreak in Western Australia is raising concerns among health officials, with the state’s director of communicable disease control emphasizing that vaccination alone may not be sufficient to halt the spread. The situation has prompted discussions about seeking federal support to ensure remote communities are fully covered.
This year, Australia has witnessed a significant increase in diphtheria cases, with over 220 reported cases across the Northern Territory, Western Australia, and South Australia. In response, the federal government has allocated a multi-million-dollar funding boost to combat the disease.
In Western Australia, 85 cases have been recorded so far, predominantly in the Kimberley region. Paul Armstrong, the state’s director of communicable disease control, explained that the current strain of diphtheria was first identified in Northern Queensland in 2022. He noted that while vaccination rates in WA are high, reaching over 90% in the Kimberley and other regions, this does not explain the ongoing outbreak.
Two-Phase Vaccination Rollout
Dr. Armstrong outlined a two-phase vaccination program aimed at addressing the outbreak. The first phase, which began in May, focuses on vaccinating individuals who have not received the vaccine, with free vaccines provided by the state government. This initiative has already vaccinated 2,000 people, but thousands more remain at risk.
“The effect of the vaccine is not so much about the transmission of the germ, but it’s about if you get infected with the germ, then your likelihood of having severe disease is very low,” he said.
The second phase of the rollout will require extensive planning, with a particular focus on accessing remote communities. Dr. Armstrong mentioned that teams will travel to individual communities to administer vaccines, working closely with Aboriginal health groups and the Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia.
“We are also in discussions with the Commonwealth on how we might augment the resourcing of that vaccination program,” he added.
Challenges for Clinical Staff
Health professionals in the Kimberley region face unique challenges due to the rarity of diphtheria in the area. Lorraine Anderson from the Aboriginal Medical Service highlighted that many clinicians have never encountered the disease before, making treatment difficult.
“Trying to introduce a disease that is so ancient that it’s relatively new to our clinicians is really difficult,” she said. “And the other thing is it tends to present with a sore throat or skin infection, which we get constantly through our clinics, in particular in the Kimberley.”
Caitlyn White from the Aboriginal Health Council of WA urged anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated in the past five years or at all to get the vaccine. She also pointed out that a lack of workforce to administer vaccinations is a significant issue.
“People are coming and asking for the vaccination, but we have busy clinics with a lot of other things that we’re dealing with,” she said.
Lack of Awareness Among Residents
Many residents in the Kimberley were unaware of the diphtheria outbreak until they sought medical attention. Emma Venables, a mother of two boys, only learned about the outbreak after taking her sons to the hospital with sore throats.
“I didn’t know anything about it, so I did a bit of a Google search and was surprised to find out what it was and that it’s even existing in the Kimberley at the moment,” she said. “I was surprised that we hadn’t had any notes come home about it, if it was a population health issue, that we weren’t aware of it until we actually took the kids up [to hospital].”
State Efforts to Manage the Outbreak
WA Health Minister Meredith Hammat stated that the state government began its response to the outbreak as soon as the first case was detected. “WA Health has been working closely with Aboriginal Health Services and other clinical services to manage the outbreak and reduce spread through support for those who’ve been diagnosed, contact tracing and vaccination,” she said.
She also mentioned that free vaccines are now available to residents in the Kimberley, Pilbara, and Goldfields, as well as those with regular face-to-face contact with Aboriginal communities in these regions.
Need for More Support in Remote Communities
Clint Bussey, the program and services manager at Nindilingarri Cultural Health Services, emphasized the need for more support in remote areas. “We’re about the size of Austria, and we have 40 communities. Our workforce isn’t what it could be,” he said.
He added that access to medical services is limited in many communities, making it challenging to administer vaccines effectively. “It’s a scary disease, children are little Petri dishes of infections. That’s why we’re so concerned about childhood immunisations.”
Bussey concluded by highlighting the importance of having dedicated individuals willing to go out and spread the message about vaccination. “It’s more about the foot soldiers that are willing to help, getting out there and about spreading the message and getting those equipped to offer vaccines.”
