Infectious diseases experts say many Americans fell behind on their whooping cough vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic, which they say has compounded the recent uptick in cases.

Pregnant women are being urged to get a whooping cough jab after an increase in cases. In Redcar there were 20 cases of the infection in the last year compared to none the previous year and Middlesbrough there was a rise from one to 45 in the same period.