# State and Commonwealth governments have been prompted to act following a spike in cases across WA, the Northern Territory and Queensland.

*biotech · news · 2026-05-28 · Australian Broadcasting Corporation*

## Key points

- Diphtheria has re-emerged in the Kimberley region after being absent for 50 years.
- 92 diphtheria cases have been reported in WA, with two prisoners now recovered.
- The outbreak is disproportionately affecting Indigenous populations in Derby, Kununurra, and nearby remote communities.
- Disinformation and misconceptions about diphtheria symptoms and vaccines are hindering containment efforts.

Health authorities in Western Australia's far north say they are battling disinformation and misconceptions amid a vaccination drive to contain an ongoing diphtheria outbreak. State and Commonwealth governments have been prompted to act following a spike in cases across WA, the Northern Territory and Queensland, with at least one death linked to the respiratory condition. The latest WA Department of Health figures showed 92 cases, with two prisoners from West Kimberley Regional Prison confirmed as having recovered from the infection. Health Minister Meredith Hammat said the prison outbreak was now under control, while other historic cases were being managed through contact tracing and the wider vaccine rollout. Wunan Health doctor Alice Fitzgerald said diphtheria could be life-threatening if left untreated and was disproportionately affecting Indigenous people. Dr Fitzgerald said the majority of Kimberley cases had been in the towns of Derby and Kununurra, as well as nearby remote communities. Battling disinformation Diphtheria is extremely rare and had not been detected in the Kimberley region for half a century prior to the current outbreak. Socio-economic pressures and limited access to healthcare in a number of remote communities have accelerated the current outbreak. Dr Fitzgerald said the best prevention was for people to be vaccinated. "We're seeing cases throughout people who are either unvaccinated or vaccinated a long time ago," she said. "Luckily the diphtheria booster is a common vaccine that's easily accessible." But due to diphtheria's re-emergence after decades dormant, Dr Fitzgerald said fighting disinformation was a challenge. "It does really highlight the importance of keeping the community really vigilant about vaccine-preventable diseases." Kununurra residents told the ABC there was confusion around the bacterial infection's symptoms and causes. Many did not know how it spread or whether they could get vaccinated, and some expressed scepticism towards vaccines and the effectiveness of western medicine. But others were concerned this "disease of the past" had returned to the Kimberley. A pop-up vaccination clinic was open at the leisure centre in Kununurra yesterday afternoon, with dozens of people lining up to get their free diphtheria and flu vaccines. Miriwoong woman Dolly Thompson did not know much about the communicable disease, but, after speaking to a nurse handing out flyers at the local supermarket, she decided to attend the clinic. She said she got the jab to "keep safe" and was planning to urge family members to do the same. "I'm going to tell them to come to Coolibah Centre," she said. Kununurra mother Yoska Lindsay she said she took her daughters to the pop-up clinic to get vaccinated because she was concerned about the current outbreak. "I'm here because I think it's really important to protect my children against the flu and diphtheria with the local outbreak," she said. "It's really important that as many people as possible do their bit for the community. It's great seeing so many people here today." 'First line of defence' The health minister said the state government had been working with the Kimberley, Pilbara and Goldfields communities since the first cases were detected. Ms Hammat said people should get vaccinated to avoid the impacts of diphtheria. "Our first line of defence is again to encourage people to get access to vaccinations," she said.

**Countries:** Australia

[Read the full story on Australian Broadcasting Corporation](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-29/diphtheria-vacine-push-wa-north-disinformation/106732378)

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