EXPECTANT mothers are to be offered a whooping cough jab to protect their babies after an outbreak of the illness claimed the lives of 10 infants.

The temporary programme for mothers-to-be is being introduced after Scotland suffered the worst outbreak of the disease since the 1980s.

There have been more than 1000 confirmed cases of whooping cough north of the Border since the beginning of this year, compared with 61 for the same period in 2011.

A total of 65 of the cases this year were reported in babies under the age of three months.

The temporary immunisation programme is being brought in after the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisations recommended offering the vaccine to women who are between 28 weeks and 38 weeks pregnant.

Public Health Minister Michael Matheson said: "We know whooping cough is highly contagious and it can be most serious for babies under the age of one.

"This vaccination programme aims to give newborn babies the protection they need."