Seven children in Mississippi with COVID-19 were in the intensive care unit, with two on life support as of July 13, the state's health officer, Thomas Dobbs, MD, said in a tweet.
"Please be safe and if you are 12 or older — please protect yourself," Dr. Dobbs said.
It's not clear what the childrens' ages are or if they were eligible for vaccination.
The University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson was treating four of the children, local ABC affiliate WAPT reported.
"We have had more pediatric admissions than we had early in the pandemic," Alan Jones, associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs at the hospital, told WAPT.
The state had the second-lowest vaccination rate in the country as of July 13, with about 34 percent of eligible residents fully vaccinated.
"Our collective under-vaccination in the state has put us all at risk, especially the most vulnerable," Dr. Dobbs said during a July 9 news conference.
From June 7 to July 5, 94 percent of COVID-19 cases in Mississippi were among unvaccinated individuals, according to state data Dr. Dobbs shared in a July 12 tweet.