BILOXI, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi health officials say two more children have died of COVID-19, raising the state’s pediatric death toll from the virus to nine.
Both of the latest victims were between the ages of 11 and 17, State Epidemiologist Paul Byers told the Biloxi Sun Herald on Wednesday.
The state last announced a pediatric death from the coronavirus in early September, when a baby under a year old died, according to the newspaper.
Health officials do not identify coronavirus victims, but the Sun Herald says one of two latest cases appears to be 16-year-old Landon Woodson. Woodson, a football player at North Pontotoc High School, died of COVID on Sept. 25.
Like its overall vaccination rate, Mississippi’s pediatric vaccination rate is well below the national average. Mississippi also has the country’s highest per-capita death count from COVID.
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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.
