State health officials have reported the first pertussis, or whooping cough, death in Mississippi of 2025. The child, whose name and location of death were not announced, was too young to be vaccinated against whooping cough. Pertussis vaccines for those 18 and under who are eligible for the Vaccines for Children program are available at County Health Departments statewide. Insurance, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program are also accepted for children’s pertussis vaccines, per officials. Staying at home when one or one’s children are sick.