MSDH confirms infant death from pertussis
JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi State Department of Health has confirmed an infant in the state recently died from pertussis.
The infant was less than 2 months old and was not age-eligible to be vaccinated against pertussis.
MSDH does not provide details of the gender or location of these deaths out of respect and privacy for the family.
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease that causes uncontrollable, violent coughs that make it hard to breathe.
It most commonly affects infants and young children and can be fatal, especially in babies under 1 year old.
To date, 115 pertussis cases have been reported to MSDH since January 1, 2025. This is a sharp increase from the 49 pertussis cases reported during 2024. Including this death, there have been three pediatric pertussis deaths reported in Mississippi since 2008.
