Mississippi issues health alert due to increased pertussis
Mississippi state health officials issued a health alert warning the public about an increase in pertussis cases in the state.
According to the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), as of July 10, 2025, 80 pertussis cases have been reported to MSDH from all nine Public Health Districts compared to 49 cases in 2024.
During the same period in 2024, Mississippi reported 18 pertussis cases.
No deaths have been reported. Ten people required hospitalization, including seven cases occurring in infants less than two months of age.
76% (61 cases) occurred in those less than 18 years of age. 73 cases were age-eligible for vaccination. 38% (28 cases) were not vaccinated. Of those not vaccinated, 82% (23 cases) were less than 18 years of age.
Also known as whooping cough, pertussis 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.
Pertussis is transmitted person-to-person through respiratory droplets or contact with airborne droplets. Patients are considered infectious from the onset of symptoms until three weeks after the start of high-pitched coughing fits, or until completing five days of antibiotics. Recommended treatment includes antibiotics within three weeks of cough onset in people 1 year of age and older, and within six weeks of cough onset in infants younger than 1 year old and pregnant women.
Vaccination, one of the safest and most effective ways to protect against pertussis, is recommended for everyone. There are two types of combination vaccines that include protection against pertussis, as well as diphtheria and tetanus: DTaP and Tdap. DTaP is recommended for younger children, while Tdap is recommended for older children, pregnant women and adults.
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Infants should receive DTaP vaccinations at 2, 4, and 6 months followed by two booster doses at 15 to 18 months and at 4 to 6 years. Pre-teens should receive Tdap at 11 to 12 years to boost their immunity. Pregnant women should receive a single dose of Tdap in the 27th – 36th week of pregnancy to help protect their newborns from pertussis during their first few months of life. Also, grandparents and other extended family/friends who may come in close contact with the infant should get booster shots to ensure they don't unknowingly pass the disease on to the child. Although there is no routine recommendation for pertussis boosters, immunity wanes over time.
Pertussis cases are up 33 percent nationally in the United States. From the beginning of the year through July 5, 15,115 pertussis cases were reported, up from 11,344 during the same period in 2024.