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The death of a baby from whooping cough highlights systemic failures in the healthcare system, a leading Māori paediatrician says.
Health New Zealand confirmed on Thursday that an infant died over the Christmas period after contracting pertussis (commonly known as whooping cough), which is highly contagious and can cause serious harm to babies.
It is the first death since an epidemic was declared in November, after cases spiked to levels not seen since 2018.
"Rather unsurprisingly it was a Māori baby, who lived in a rural area, and where it was difficult to access healthcare," said paediatrician Dr Owen Sinclair (Te Rarawa), who is chair of the National Immunisation Taskforce, said.
Māori were disproportionately affected by the disease, with "shocking immunisation rates" leading to over-representation in hospital admissions, he said.
Until babies were old enough, they relied on protection against whooping cough from their mothers, who could be vaccinated during pregnancy from 16 weeks.
Sinclair said he understood the mother was unable to get immunised.
Health New Zealand said it did not comment on clinical details of cases.
National Public Health Service director Dr Nick Chamberlain said: "Immunisations are a critical tool in protecting babies and children from serious, preventable diseases.
The national immunisation rate for 24-month-old children was 77 per cent at the end of 2024. This was 7 percent below the 2024/25 milestone target of 84 per cent, he said.
"Our work is ongoing with healthcare providers, including Māori and Pacific healthcare services across the motu, to improve childhood immunisation rates, as well as access to immunisations for those who need them most.
"Because babies cannot be vaccinated until they are six weeks old, the best protection for them is for anyone who is pregnant to get the vaccine, which means that their immunity is then passed onto pēpi. The vaccine is safe, free and most effective when given from 16 weeks of pregnancy and should be given during each pregnancy to provide the best protection for each baby."
There have been 1232 cases of whooping cough notified since the onset of the epidemic (19 October) until the end of last week, and 101 cases needed to be hospitalised, Chamberlain said. Of those hospitalised, 48 were under one-year-old.
Sinclair said the whooping cough vaccination was highly effective at preventing death and serious illness, however the rate of people getting it was dropping nationally, and was at the lowest it had ever been for Māori.
"It's difficult, particularly [for] those who live remotely."
While resources were still being targeted towards at-risk populations, concern around health staffing levels remained, he said.
In December, RNZ reported on funding cuts to an immunisation programme for pregnant Māori and Pasifika people and their babies in South Auckland, which in the two years to April had helped nearly double the coverage for local Māori mums-to-be.
Part of the issue was awareness, Sinclair said.
Most hapū māmā would walk past a pharmacy where they could be immunised on the spot, he said, and he believed more would take up the opportunity if they were aware of the risk factors from whooping cough.
Kaupapa Māori organisation Ngāti Pāoa Health and Social Service, E Tipu E Rea Whānau Services, expressed "deep sadness at the loss of a pēpi".
"We grieve for the whānau of this pēpi who have lost a future rangatira and tautoko what has been shared in that one loss is too many," it said in a statement.
So far E Tipu E Rea had received no confirmed cases of whooping cough.
E Tipu E Rea Whānau Services mana amorangi/chief executive Zoe Witika-Hawke said the organisation had offered the vaccine to entire whānau, at its own expense.
"We go to these lengths because we know what's required to improve vaccine rates in our community, but it also highlights the urgent need for funding a whole whānau approach in the first 2000 days."
Chamberlain said the National Public Health Service would continue to work closely with healthcare providers throughout the motu, including Māori and Pacific healthcare services, to make it easier for families to access vaccinations and ensure children receive their vaccinations on time by 24-months-old and at other key milestone ages.
"We have been running a national pertussis awareness campaign aimed at engaging hapū māmā and their whānau, increasing awareness about the risks and emphasising the significance of antenatal and timely vaccination, across digital, radio and television."
Last year, the government announced finding of $50 million over two years for Māori health providers, to help lift immunisation rates, especially for children and older people - who have especially poor vaccine coverage, Chamberlain said.
Last year, the government announced an investment of $50 million over two years for Māori health providers, to help lift immunisation rates, particularly among children and older people, who we know have especially poor vaccine coverage, Chamberlain said.
What to do if you suspect your child has whooping cough
Health NZ said whooping cough in pēpi was unpredictable and could get worse very quickly. Parents should also seek urgent medical advice if their pēpi:
- Stops breathing
- Goes blue with coughing
- Appears to have a cold, then cough and have difficulty breathing
- Gets exhausted from coughing
- Is not able to feed properly because of coughing and difficulty breathing
- Loses weight because of difficulty feeding and because the cough causes them to vomit.
For more information, or help to book a vaccination, parents could call the Vaccination Healthline free, on 0800 28 29 26 (8:30am-5pm Monday to Friday) or visit info.health.nz/bookavaccine.
Anyone with a cough for two weeks or more, or a cough that ends with a 'whoop' sound or vomiting, should seek medical advice by contacting a doctor or calling Healthline for free, on 0800 611 116.
Anyone who was having difficulty breathing should call 111 and get help immediately.
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