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

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