whooping cough is doing the rounds in Herefordshire.

During the last month, two babies have been admitted to Hereford County Hospital with suspected pertussis.

Both were from the Leominster area but were not related, nor linked.

GPs in Bromyard and in villages south of Hereford have also reported finding a few cases in older children and adults.

The outbreak has caused Herefordshire Primary Care Trust to urge parents to ensure their children are immunised against whooping cough.

Fortunately for the two babies from Leominster, they had started their immunisation course, which probably gave them partial protection.

Both were quickly back home and recovering well but laboratory tests confirmed the whooping cough diagnosis.

Dr Gary Reynolds, health protection agency consultant in communicable disease control, warned that whooping cough vaccine did not give life-long immunity.

"That is why the pre-school boost is so important,'' he said.

In the last quarter in Herefordshire, 91% of eligible babies had completed their doses by the age of one but only 84% of five year olds had received their whooping cough booster.

The message from Dr Reynolds is that all children should be immunised against whooping cough and it is vital that pre-school uptake should be much nearer to 100% - and quickly.