Mississippi Free Press – Mississippi Baby Dies of Whooping Cough, the State’s First Pertussis Death in 13 Years Heather Harrison by Heather Harrison September 30, 2025 “We do believe that declining vaccination rates are impacting this,” he told reporters on Sept. 29. “Mississippi, as you know, scores very high with our rate of vaccination for our infants and school-aged children, but we don’t score nearly as well with adults. And so, our concern is that adult Mississippians are not maintaining the pertussis immunity, which puts our babies at risk.”
We need to just keep unapologetically demanding better, because we deserve better.
My letter to elected representatives:
I want vaccines. I want research on effective vaccines funded, I want covid vaccines, I want vaccines covered by all insurance, and I want free vaccination available to the uninsured, and like most Americans, including most Republicans, I want vaccine requirements in congregate settings like schools, the military, and healthcare settings. I want you to make sure I’m able to get vaccinated and that we have effective vaccination campaigns to get everybody who can be vaccinated.
Please feel free to copy or repurpose my letter for your own letters to reps.