BACOLOD CITY, March 27 -- The Provincial Health Office (PHO) in Negros Occidental on Wednesday urged parents to have their children vaccinated against pertussis or whooping cough to prevent infection of the highly contagious respiratory disease.

In Negros Occidental, a two-month-old boy suspected to have caught the illness has already recovered after he was admitted to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in this city last week.

However, the PHO has yet to receive a result of the confirmatory test, Dr. Ma. Girlie Pinongan, provincial health officer, said in an interview.

"The PHO is advising the public to be aware of the increasing pertussis cases reported in the neighboring provinces. Take measures to prevent per...