Parent's warned to vaccinate children after whooping cough rise

Parents are being warned to ensure that their children's vaccinations are up to date after a rise in whooping cough.

The Health Protect Agency (HPA) said there have been 665 confirmed cases already this year, compared with 1,040 in the whole of 2011.

Cases have been reported across England with some areas reporting clusters in schools and universities.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, affects people of all ages but the recent increase has seen cases in very young children, who have the highest risk of severe complications and death.

The main symptoms of whooping cough are severe coughing fits which, in babies and children, are accompanied by a characteristic "whoop" sound as the child gasps for breath.

Dr Mary Ramsay, the HPA's head of immunisation, said:

A Department of Health spokesman said:

The HPA is also reminding parents to ensure their children are protected against measles after a slight increase in cases since the beginning of the year.

So far, there have been 251 measles cases reported in 2012 compared with 200 cases in the same period last year. The majority of cases have been in people who had not been vaccinated.