A 10th child dies from COVID in MS. Get kids vaccinated, health department begs.
A tenth child in Mississippi has died from the coronavirus, the state’s Department of Health confirmed Wednesday afternoon.
The child was under 18, and the health department is not releasing any other details, including what county the child lived in.
All 10 pediatric deaths in Mississippi were unvaccinated children, the health department said.
The vaccine has proven to be the safest and most effective way to combat COVID, and shots are available for children ages 5 and up at all county health departments, including Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties.
Booster shots are also recommended for those over 12, the health department said.
Here’s a look at the age ranges of the children who have died in the state since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020:
- One death in a child who was under 1
- Two deaths in the 1-5 year age range
- One death in the 6-10 year age range
- Six deaths in the 11-17 year age range
Only 7% of children ages 5 to 11 are fully vaccinated in Mississippi, state epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers said.
“Vaccination is the best protection for our children who are eligible to receive it,” Byers said. “For those under 5 years of age, it is critically important that everyone around the infant and child are vaccinated.”
State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers encourages parents to discuss childhood vaccination with their health care provider.
In about one month’s time after the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, omicron became the dominant variant in Mississippi as the deadly delta variant faded.
The health department reported 6,596 new COVID cases, with 19 deaths, on Wednesday.
