MEDIA CENTRE

Inside Australia’s fight against vaccine hesitancy: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-22/australia-vaccine-hesitancy-fight-restore-confidence/106353012

Parents are paying $2500 to falsify vaccine records. It’s endangering babies like Riley: https://www.smh.com.au/national/parents-are-paying-2500-to-falsify-vaccine-records-it-s-endangering-babies-like-riley-20260127-p5nxah.html

'Makes your heart sink': Mother on 10-year low of childhood immunisation: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/radionational-breakfast/childhood-vaccinations-fall-to-10-year-low/106311238

Vaccine advocate flags dangers of social media: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-16/whooping-cough-cases-at-record-high-level-in-australia/106332954

Immunisation Foundation founder Catherine Hughes, who lost her son to whooping cough, says Australia needs to boost vaccination rates.: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/whooping-cough-vaccine-rates/fdcd1iz7d

Infant RSV immunisation: thousands protected, yet others slip through the cracks: https://insightplus.mja.com.au/2025/40/infant-rsv-immunisation-thousands-protected-yet-others-slip-through-the-cracks/

Doctors urge caution as Perth family shares heartbreak of losing little girl to influenza: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-28/wa-vaccination-call-after-toddler-dies-from-flu/105578598

‘Three-fold challenge’: Immunisation Foundation of Australia warns deadly Pneumococcal disease hits 20-year high https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/babies/threefold-challenge-immunisation-foundation-of-australia-warns-deadly-pneumococcal-disease-hits-20year-high/news-story/7031b58c7905c1d22a18ff80c0c53dcb

Qld baby dies after catching whooping cough: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/queensland-baby-dies-after-catching-whooping-cough/news-story/b90385a8c0bc8d79bd20588150acac00

Record number of whooping cough cases nationwide as WA reports 10-fold surge in less than 12 months: https://thewest.com.au/news/health/record-number-of-whooping-cough-cases-nationwide-as-wa-reports-10-fold-surge-in-less-than-12-months-c-16679867

WA first to secure infant RSV immunisation: https://www.nationaltribune.com.au/wa-first-to-secure-infant-rsv-immunisation/

Vaccine campaigner Catherine Hughes honoured for Light For Riley work after newborn tragedy: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-13/catherine-hughes-honoured-for-riley-vaccine-campaign/101147630

Catherine Hughes announced as an AMP Tomorrowmaker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8zf65McWKE

Catherine Hughes interviewed on 6PR radio show about how we can respond to anti-vaccine celebrities:
https://www.6pr.com.au/podcast/its-time-to-spread-the-positive-vaccination-message/

Interview with CNN: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/19/health/anti-vax-harassment-eprise/index.html

Open editorial for TenDaily: https://10daily.com.au/views/a190218fln/i-never-imagined-my-babys-death-would-make-me-the-target-of-anti-vaxxers-20190218

WA Health says whooping cough cases have fallen 20% since Riley’s death:
https://thewest.com.au/news/health/health-department-figures-reveal-cases-of-whooping-cough-have-fallen-20-since-tragic-riley-hughes-death-ng-b88779222z

Greg Hughes interviewed for New York’s “Inside Edition” https://www.insideedition.com/media/videos/australian-dad-writes-touching-open-letter-son-he-lost-whooping-cough-46360

The federal government announces that the pregnancy whooping cough vaccine will be federally funded and available for free to all Mums on the National Immunisation Program: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-06/budget-to-include-free-whooping-cough-vaccines-pregnant-women/9731058

The story we shared about Nadja, a Serbian child who died from measles, went viral: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/mum-who-tragically-lost-daughter-13982414

WA now reporting some of the highest pregnancy vaccination rates in the world: https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wa/wa-women-embrace-free-whooping-cough-vaccine-ng-030221b80c82be30b43617090f0941a4

Catherine Hughes speaks out against anti-vaccine remarks made by Pauline Hanson: https://www.buzzfeed.com/markdistefano/vaxx-your-kids

50 000 vaccines donated to UNICEF in protest at the “Vaxxed” film coming to Australia: https://www.kidspot.com.au/parenting/real-life/reader-stories/grieving-parents-have-perfect-response-to-us-antivaxxers-touring-australia/news-story/b5938de44a0b160eb19fb65054f3b603

Hughes and McCaffery families take part in the federal government’s “Get The Facts” campaign:
https://honey.nine.com.au/latest/whooping-cough-death-campaign/332bc15a-ca36-4b0e-81bd-

Video of Riley’s cough in his final days is released. News article: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jan/12/parents-share-video-of-babys-last-days-to-promote-whooping-cough-vaccination
Direct link to video here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1538734389770670

Catherine and Greg Hughes give birth to a baby girl: https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/babies/catherine-and-greg-hughes-mother-of-riley-who-died-from-whooping-cough-welcome-third-child/news-story/c8e7839946741d3a8e21b4464a5a053b

September 2016 – Light for Riley on Sunday Night program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XVCnWz1NIE

Groundswell of support for Riley Hughes’ family: https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/massive-public-support-for-family-of-whooping-cough-baby-riley-20150318-1m2fkp.html

WA Health minister announces free whooping cough vaccines for pregnant Mums: https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/wa-health-minister-announces-free-whooping-cough-vaccines-for-expectant-mums-20150319-1m3at9.html

Video filmed for WA Health and media release: https://ww2.health.wa.gov.au/News/More-pregnant-women-receiving-whooping-cough-vaccine

Catherine Hughes announced as WA Young Australian of the Year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keHI8_RD9ZQ

VaccinesWork blog: https://www.vaccineswork.org/light-for-riley-our-mission-to-protect/

UNICEF blog: https://www.unicef.org.au/blog/stories/december-2015/light-for-riley