PREGNANT women in the North-East are more likely to have had a whooping cough vaccine than in any other part of the country.

New figures published by the Department of Health show that 64.9 per cent of pregnant women in the North-East had been vaccinated against whooping cough by the end of October.

This compares with a figure of 43.6 per cent for the whole of England.

Whooping cough is on the increase across the UK and so far we have see more than 7,000 cases, compared to just over 1,000 during the whole of 2011.

So far there have been 13 deaths in young children under three months old who developed complications from whooping cough.

The vaccine, which was offered to all pregnant women from the start of October, is aimed at women between 28 and 38 weeks of their pregnancies.

Statistics show that in Darlington 133 out of 140 pregnant women were vaccinated, a rate of 95 per cent.

In County Durham 417 out of 496 pregnant women were vaccinated, a ate of 84 per cent.

Professor David Salisbury, director of immunisation for the Department of Health, said: "I'd urge all pregnant women between 28 and 38 weeks of pregnancy to get the vaccine to protect their babies.

"Whooping cough is highly infectious and infants are particularly vulnerable. Thirteen infants have died as a result of whooping cough this year and there have been nearly 400 cases of the disease in children under three months old.

"It's vital that babies are protected from the day they are born - that's why we are encouraging all pregnant women to be vaccinated."