Health chiefs have issued an alert following a sharp rise in whooping cough cases across Perthshire.
NHS Tayside has called for youngsters and pregnant women to get vaccinated against the contagious disease.
Health workers said there had been an increase in the number of suspected and confirmed cases of pertussis, better known as whooping cough, across the Perth and Kinross patch in recent months.
Since April, there have been 55 instances of the disease in the region, mostly in the North Perthshire area.
This compares to 39 cases over the same five-month period last year.
An NHS Tayside spokeswoman said: “Whopping cough typically causes illness with cold-like symptoms progressing to bouts of prolonged coughing.
“The illness usually fully resolves itself within weeks to months, but occasionally can be more serious, particularly in young infants.”
The disease is caused by a bacterial infection and is passed on through coughing and sneezing.
The NHS is urging parents to get routine vaccinations for their children at two, three and four months old, as well as a pre-school booster.
“It is recommended that all parents take up the offer to have their children vaccinated at their GP practice,” the service’s spokeswoman added.
“To protect babies before they’re old enough for their first jabs, vaccination against whooping cough is also offered to expectant mothers during pregnancy.
“This provides protection to the baby from birth, through the mother’s immune response to the vaccine.
“Women are encouraged to ask their midwife or GP for more information about getting the injection.”
NHS Tayside has also asked parents to keep children off school and nurseries if they suspect they have whooping cough.
“Healthcare workers and people who work with pregnant women or infants should stay off work until their infection is fully treated.
“Anyone with the illness should limit their contact to young infants as much as possible, to help protect them from the infection.”
Around 16 million people are struck by pertussis each year. In 2013, 61,000 died as a result of catching the disease.
The bacteria that causes the infection was discovered in 1906. The vaccine first became available in the 1940s.