Newborn babies could be at risk of whooping cough following a sharp drop in the number of pregnant women getting vaccinated.

Latest figures show 66.2% of pregnant women in Sussex had the vaccine to protect their unborn child this summer compared to a peak of 75% in January.

The peak followed the launch of a campaign by the Government a year ago after a whooping cough outbreak which led to 537 cases being reported across the county.

Although the number has fallen this year, whooping cough is still in the community and health bosses are urging women to make sure they get themselves and their child protected.

Vaccinating pregnant women transfers immunity to their unborn child until the first routine dose of the pertussis vaccine can be given.

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Public Health England says there have been more than 200 cases reported in Sussex so far this year and three cases in East Sussex involved babies under 12 months old.

Consultant epidemiologist for immunisation at Public Health England, Gayatri Amirthalingam, said: “It is encouraging to see cases of whooping cough continuing to fall, especially in babies under three months of age who are at highest risk of the most serious complications from the disease.

“We are now approaching the time of year when we would normally expect to see cases of whooping cough begin to increase.

“It is crucial that pregnant women continue to get vaccinated to provide their babies with protection until they are old enough to have their routine vaccines.”

Whooping cough is a serious illness for the very young and can lead to death in some cases and pregnant women are advised to have the vaccine between weeks 28 and 38 of their pregnancy.

Although the take-up rate for vaccinations for all adults and children in the county is good overall, the vaccine wears off with age so adults are not protected.

At the moment the NHS vaccinates all babies when they are two, three and four months old as part of their “five in one” jabs and then again as part of their pre-school booster.

It does not usually cause serious complications in older children and adults.

NHS England is planning to contact GP practices and maternity units to urge them to improve immunisation rates further.