State Health Officer warns Mississippi Board of Health about declining kindergartener vaccination rates

• With childhood vaccination rates in some counties falling below the 95% threshold, the State Health Department is working with affected school districts to ensure a plan is in place should an outbreak occur, Dr. Daniel Edney told the Board of Health.

Declining vaccination rates and other health related statistics in Mississippi were major topics of discussion recently by members of the state’s Board of Health. And while the State Health Officer is concerned about the potential for a measles outbreak, he is not sounding the alarm just yet. 

Dr. Daniel Edney expressed concern that Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination rates for children entering kindergarten continue to fall in some parts of the state. However, the State Health Officer told the Board of Health during Wednesday’s meeting community immunity is holding.

“But we still have strong community immunity levels statewide, and even these counties where the kindergarten rate has dropped, the overall childhood vaccination rates are still above the 95% threshold,” Edney explained.

With vaccination rates dropping below that threshold in certain areas, preparations are being made. 

“We have counties as low as, you know, George County that’s below 92%, and the further below 95% we go then the higher the risk,” Edney said. “And measles will be the most sensitive indicator of occurrence of vaccine preventable illness.”

Delta-region counties continue to have the highest vaccination rates.

In preparation for any possible outbreaks that may occur, the State Health Department is working with school districts with the lowest vaccination rates to ensure they have plans in place. 

“School districts who are in these counties need to be aware, make sure their response plan is up to date,” Edney explained. “And we’re also educating providers, because our providers in Mississippi have not seen a case of measles since 1992 so it’s not the first thing people are thinking about when a child comes in with fever and rash.”

Of the various childhood vaccines required for a student to enter kindergarten, Edney said the MMR vaccine is the one least adopted by parents. Parents can apply for a religious exemption. Edney noted that his office is working with health providers to speak with parents about the benefits of vaccines. 

“We are having to make sure our primary care doctors know that religious exemptions are not contractually binding, parents can reverse it, or opt not to use it,” Edney said.

While no cases have been reported in Mississippi as of this publication, there were about 2,000 cases reported nationwide last year, and this year there have already been 2,100 reported cases. 

Other preventable illnesses of concern include pertussis. State Epidemiologist Dr. Renia Dotson informed the Board of Health that last year there were 146 reported cases of pertussis in Mississippi. This year, there have already been 37 cases reported, all in people 18 and younger. 

“Hopefully, we will not reach that 146 high that we did last year, but we’re well on our way,” Dotson warned.

Of those cases that had a known vaccination status, Dotson said 12 had not received the vaccine. Five of those people were not vaccinated due to parental refusals, three were younger than the threshold of being at least 7-months-old, and one had a religious exemption. The five within the age range where parents declined the vaccine had not reached the age to enter school yet, otherwise they would have to apply for a religious exemption, Dotson elaborated.

While data also indicates that most of the people who had pertussis had received the vaccine, Dotson said the majority of them were in the period between booster shots where immunity begins to wane. That fact has MSDH reconsidering the age when give booster shots are administered.

“We were never able to eradicate pertussis like we have mumps, measles, diphtheria, polio,” Edney added. “Those vaccines are just so much more effective than the pertussis component.”

The state has also reported its first case of West Nile earlier this month. The case was reported by a person in Hancock County. Dotson said the state recorded 33 reported cases of the mosquito-borne virus last year.

In other health related news, Dr. Edney said Mississippi is on track to report a lower infant mortality rate than the 9.7% reported for 2024. While he declined to give a number during Wednesday’s meeting due to outstanding death certificates that need to be recorded, he is confident the 2025 rate will be lower.