Whooping cough vaccinations call from Health Department

Pregnant women in the Isle of Man are being urged to get vaccinated against whooping cough.

The call from the Department of Health follows today's news three babies in England and Wales died from the illness in October, taking the total number of deaths there in 2012 to 13.

In the Isle of Man, to-date there have been 17 confirmed cases reported to the Public Health Directorate.

The department says that is likely to be an under-estimate, since the disease is mild in adults and older children and they may not seek medical attention.

The Island's Department of Health announced on September 28 that it is offering whooping cough vaccinations to women who are between 28 and 38 weeks pregnant.

The department says the vaccine will protect your newborn baby against whooping cough, which can be extremely serious in babies.

If you have other children, please ensure they have a complete course of vaccination as recommended.

This will protect them and reduce the chances of them passing on the infection to your newborn.