Why this mum filmed her baby struggling to breathe and then posted it on Facebook

A mum has shared a video of her four-month-old baby struggling to breath on her Facebook page, in a bid to encourage people to vaccinate their children against whooping cough.

Rebecca Harreman, who's a mother to two sons, posted the video to the social media site on Saturday and it has since been viewed over 1,000,000 times and shared by over 25,000 people.

The Australian, who describes herself as a 'mumma bear' explained how she has seen her youngest son Austin 'turn blue' from coughing and struggling to take a single breath as has had whooping cough for 23 days.

In the video, little Austin is seen struggling to breathe, but Rebecca insists this is a 'good' example of a coughing fit.

The post, which she describes as a 'rant' starts; 'I'm tired. Damn tired. I've been on duty for over 3 weeks having to wake every single time my baby boy coughs for fear he will stop breathing.

'Every. Single. Time. I cannot and will not pass that duty to anyone else, because I just can't sleep.'

Rebecca insists that for parents who are on the fence about getting vaccinations, as some anti-vaccine campaigners suggest there is a link between the jab and child autism, she hopes the video will convince them to act.

https://www.facebook.com/bec.fox.83/videos/vb.1356274084/10208274898574228/?type=2&theater

'I don't care whether you want to try and prove to me that vaccinations don't work. I don't care that vaccinations have side effects.

'You know why? Because at least at the end of the day I tried to do something to prevent this and not sit there and say "Oh well, vaccinations don't work so I'll just sit here and do nothing"... because doing nothing goes against every cell in my body as a mother. Doing nothing is just wrong.'

The response to her post has seen her inbox 'completely full' and so many hundreds of messages that she cannot possible reply to them all, although she 'would really love to'.

Rebecca had one final reminder for everyone, not just parents; 'Oh and no matter what you believe – if you have a cough while out in public – cover your damn effing mouth!'