A Mississippi infant recently died from pertussis, or whooping cough, the State Department of Health announced Monday. 

It is the first whooping cough death reported in Mississippi since 2012 and the third since 2008. 

Whooping cough cases in Mississippi are the highest they have been in at least a decade.

The infant was not eligible to be vaccinated against the disease due to his or her age, the agency said in a statement. 

State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney has repeatedly said that vaccines are the best defense against diseases like pertussis.

Because infants are not eligible for the pertussis vaccination until they are two months old, the health department recommends that pregnant women, grandparents and family or friends who may come in close contact with an infant get booster shots to ensure they do not pass the illness to children.

This year, 115 pertussis cases have been reported to the health department, compared to 49 total last year. 

Over 20,000 whooping cough cases have been reported across the U.S. this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The highly contagious respiratory illness is named for the “whooping” sound people make when gasping for air after a coughing fit. It may begin like a common cold but can last for weeks or months and make it difficult to breathe. Babies younger than 1 year are at greatest risk for getting whooping cough, and can have severe complications that often require hospitalization. 

Mississippi for many years had the highest child vaccination rates in the nation. But rates have fallen since 2023, when a federal judge ruled that parents can opt out of vaccinating their children for school with a religious exemption.  

The pertussis vaccination is administered in a five-dose series for children under 7 and booster doses for older children and adults. 

Immunity from pertussis vaccination wanes over time, and there is not a routine recommendation for boosters. 

The Mississippi Health Department offers vaccinations to children and uninsured or underinsured adults at county health departments.