Pregnant women in Western Australia will be given a free whooping cough vaccination after the release of new national immunisation recommendations.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisations was originally expected to finalise a report on pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy in June but has brought that forward to within a fortnight.
A spokeswoman for WA Health Minister Kim Hames said on Thursday the state government would then make whooping cough vaccines free to pregnant women.
The start date of the two-year program is yet to be determined.
A $600,00 commonwealth fund will help pay for it.
The news comes two days after four-week-old Riley John Hughes died from complications from the disease in Princess Margaret Hospital, reigniting the vaccination debate.
His parents set up a Facebook page called Light for Riley on Wednesday, which has already been "liked" by more than 40,000 people.
Whooping cough is a respiratory infection spread by coughing, sneezing and direct contact, and is particularly serious in young children.
People diagnosed with pertussis should stay away from school and work while infectious, which can last up to 21 days.
According to Department of Health data, more than 1700 cases were reported in WA last year.
The most recent spike in the state was in 2011, when there were more than 4000 notifications to the department.
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