A Brisbane woman has hit back at so-called anti-vaxxers who targeted her with private messages after a Facebook post she made sharing her son's battle with whooping cough went viral.

Rebecca Harreman's Facebook status included a short video of her comforting her four-month-old son, who rubbed his red eyes before bursting into a small coughing fit.

It has been viewed more than 475,000 times and shared more than 13,500 since it was uploaded on Friday.

The 400-word status documented her son's 20-plus day battle with whooping cough, also known as pertussis.

Since then, she has received messages of love and support from friends, family and strangers alike - however it has also attracted the attention of those against vaccination.

"I really didn't think that people would personally message me to tell me I am wrong," she wrote in a follow-up post.

"I didn't intend to offend anyone in particular with my views. Because they are just that - MY views.

"But since some anti-vaxxers seem to feel they can share and say anything they want, even if it is unreliable, and I'm not allowed to have my say or share my own personal experience ... well then I say bring it!

"No more turning a blind eye and not sharing opinions for fear it will upset someone else.

"It's called freedom of speech. If they can say what they want, then so can I."

In her original post, Ms Harreman said the video of her son featured a "good coughing fit" - because it was "nothing compared to watching him turn blue from coughing for so long and so much he can't take a single breath".

"I've been on duty for over three weeks having to wake every single time my baby boy coughs for fear he will stop breathing," she wrote.

"So for those of you sitting on the fence on whether to vaccinate yourself and your kids or not ... maybe this video will convince you."

'It's time for me to go private'

Ms Harreman has since written another Facebook post since her original message.

She has thanked the many people who supported her stance, but she had been "completely overwhelmed" with questions.

"Okay this is getting out of hand," she wrote early on Tuesday morning.

"I truly appreciate all the messages of love and support and well wishes from strangers all over the world. It's incredible and truly meant a lot.

"I also appreciate all the questions coming in for those people fence sitting on whether or not to vaccinate - there are literally hundreds of them coming in.

"But I unfortunately don't have time to respond to everyone's messages, even though I'd really love to.

"Because as of this moment Austin is back in hospital and my inbox is packed to the brim, people are reporting my family portrait for nudity on FB and let's not even start on what the anti-vaxxers are sending me.

"So I'm making this post another public one just to say thank you and it's time for me to go private so I can just concentrate on my family, my son and his health."

'Doing nothing is just wrong'

Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory infection.

The infection causes severe coughing fits followed by a whooping sound on inhaling and, often, vomiting.

It is particularly serious for children aged up to two years of age, but especially infants less than six months where it can be fatal.

In this age range, between 0.5 and 1 per cent of children who catch whooping cough die from the disease, but the outlook improves in older children.

"I don't care whether you want to try and prove to me that vaccinations and herd immunities don't work," Ms Harreman said.

"I don't care that vaccinations have side effects, because every person in this world reacts differently to all types of food, products and medicines.

"I could not care less, even if it is ever proven one day that they don't work.

"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."