One-Stop Spot for School State Health Requirements on Tuesday, July 27th!

Is your child ready for the upcoming school year? The Cherokee County Health Department is conducting a Back to School Rush Health Clinic on Tuesday, July 27th from 2 to 6 p.m. at public health department locations in both Canton and Woodstock. The required Hearing, Dental, Vision and BMI/Nutrition Screenings will be available: Total cost for screenings is $60. Also, immunizations will be provided for school-age children for $21.90 each (for uninsured or underinsured). Medicaid (including Amerigroup, CareSource, Peachstate and WellCare), Peachcare for Kids, HUMANA, AETNA, United Health Care, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Ambetter, CIGNA and Coventry are accepted. The health department location in Canton is 1219 Univeter Road and the location in Woodstock is 7545 North Main Street. For more information, please call (770) 345-7371 in Canton or (770) 928-0133 in Woodstock. (Click on Poster and Flyer below to download and share)

Come get your delicious fresh fruits and vegetables this summer at several DRIVE-THRU Farmers Markets presented by North Georgia's Women, Infants and Children (WIC) services.

Affordably priced and locally grown, these fresh fruits and vegetables can be prepared and served in a variety of scrumptious ways to enjoy healthy, nutritious meals, treats and snacks this summer... and beyond!

Participating farmers are from Brown’s Produce of Tunnel Hill and R & A Orchards of Ellijay.

The Drive-Thru Farmers Markets will be held this summer at the following dates and locations from 8 AM to 12 PM or for as long as produce lasts (just added site is in red):

The North Georgia Health District continually strives to help our communities with all public health needs. We recognize that our health departments are not equipped to offer Opioid addiction treatment or substance abuse services, but we do hope this Community and Recovery Resource Guide will lead all who seek this type of assistance in the right direction, whether it be for themselves or for others.

This is the 2023 Edition of the guide. Services, programs, and treatment options are constantly changing, so please refer back to this guide for updates to the listed facilities. This guide will be updated annually.

Please click on the 2023 Community and Recovery Resource Guide graphic below to download the pdf document. The Spanish version has been added, too!

We want to thank all our participating community partners for their collaboration on this guide.

Health officials warn: Avoid all unfamiliar animals

Para leer este mensaje en Español, haga clic en 'Español' en la parte superior de esta página a la derecha 

Canton, GA – A man was bitten by a raccoon on Wednesday, June 2nd while biking on the Blankets Creek Mountain Bike Trail on Sixes Road in Canton. This incident is not related to the raccoon attack that occurred earlier this week in Woodstock, even though both Canton and Woodstock are in Cherokee County, Georgia. 

The bicyclist was in the Dwelling Loop section of the trail at about 4 PM on Wednesday when he stopped to feed a raccoon he thought was injured. The raccoon bit down on the bicyclist’s hand, but because the man wore bike gloves, there was no puncture to his skin or nails. Emergency room attendants, who later examined the man at Northside Cherokee Hospital, determined no further treatment was needed. 

The raccoon was not submitted for testing, so whether the animal was infected with rabies is unknown.

Cherokee County Environmental Health officials contacted the bicyclist to recommend that he call Georgia Poison Control for any further guidance he may need, and environmental health will work with trail maintenance to have warning signs placed in the area.

Para leer este mensaje en Español, haga clic en 'Español' en la parte superior de esta página a la derecha

Woodstock, GA – Cherokee County Environmental Health officials advised that a raccoon attacked and bit a person on June 1st at River Chase Drive in Woodstock. The behavior of the raccoon indicated a strong probability it is rabid. The raccoon was neither captured nor killed, so residents are urged to take these necessary precautions: 

• Report any sightings of a raccoon in that area to Animal Control at (678) 493-4080. 

• Avoid all contact with raccoons and other wild mammals. If you are bitten or scratched, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Rabies is usually fatal without preventive anti-rabies treatments. 

• Children should be taught to avoid contact with wild mammals and to report any such contact to a parent or another adult who is in charge immediately. Remind children that wild animals are not pets and that wild mammals with rabies may sometimes appear tame and friendly, or they could appear sick. 

• If bitten or scratched by a raccoon or other wild mammal, wash the wound immediately with soap and water for several minutes and then apply a skin disinfectant. Seek medical attention as soon as possible. Report the bite to Environmental Health at (770) 479-0444. 

Cherokee County Environmental Health staff are canvassing the area with a printed advisory (please click the graphic) to ensure residents are aware of the incident and will watch for this raccoon and others that could potentially be rabies-infected.

Woodstock Health Center Resumes All Public Health Services

Para leer este mensaje en Español, haga clic en 'Español' en la parte superior de esta página a la derecha

Cherokee County, GA – On Monday, June 7, 2021, the Cherokee County Health Department will move COVID-19 vaccine distribution from Canton First Baptist Church to the health department centers in Canton and Woodstock. Also on Monday, public health services that had been suspended at the Woodstock Health Center due to the focus on the pandemic, will resume. Services at the Canton Health Center had not been suspended and will continue to be offered.

Information about the wide range of public health services and programs offered to Cherokee County residents is provided on the North Georgia Health District website at https://nghd.org/nghd-locations-listing/category/cherokee.

The health center hours are: 

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday - 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday - 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday - 7:30 AM - 1:00 PM 

To make an appointment for public health services offered at the health centers in Cherokee County, call (770) 345-7371 for the 1219 Univeter Road location in Canton or call (770) 329-0133 for the health center located at 7545 North Main Street in Woodstock.

No appointment is needed for a COVID-19 vaccination and no identification is required. The vaccine is provided at no-cost to individuals.

Everyone 12 years of age and older is urged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 immediately to help stop the spread of the virus. The health centers will offer Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, depending on availability, and Pfizer vaccine is the only one approved for children ages 12 to 17.

North GA – Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is approved for youths ages 12 to 17, and public health officials in North Georgia strongly recommend that they get their vaccine as soon as possible this summer to be fully vaccinated before the new school year begins.

Health departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield counties offer Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, but some health departments are capable of maintaining only a limited number of doses, so it is best to call the health department ahead of arrival to confirm Pfizer vaccine is available that day (please see phone numbers below). The health departments will also conduct special vaccine clinics to make it easier for young residents to get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine that is approved for them. Public announcements about these vaccine clinics are being posted online in North Georgia Health District News at https://nghd.org/news.

COVID-19 vaccine is no-cost at the health departments. No appointment is needed. No identification is required.

Minors must have the consent of a parent or legal guardian to be vaccinated (access the COVID-19 Vaccine Consent Form in English or in Spanish).

Get Vaccinated at the Gilmer County Health Department June 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th!

Para leer este mensaje en Español, haga clic en 'Español' en la parte superior de esta página a la derecha

Ellijay, GA – Young people ages 12 to 18 are invited to come by a four-day Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic hosted by Gilmer County Health Department at 28 Southside Church Street in Ellijay. The clinic will be held:

• • • • Tuesday, June 1st, 7:30 AM to 6 PM
      • Wednesday, June 2nd, 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM
      • Thursday, June 3rd, 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM
      • Friday, June 4th, 7:30 AM to 12 PM

All minors must have the consent of a parent or legal guardian to be vaccinated (click on the COVID-19 Vaccine Consent Form in English or in Spanish). COVID-19 vaccine is FREE. No Appointment is needed. No Identification required. Come get vaccinated for a safer summer and protect yourself, your family, and your community from COVID-19! For more information about COVID-19 vaccine, go to Questions About COVID-19?. 

Today is National “Wear your life jacket to work” day to promote water safety as we kick off the summer. As always, the Cherokee County Health Department is collaborating with SafeKids Cherokee to get this important message out to the community. Above is a photo of Woodstock Health Center staff at workin their life jackets. Pictured are (from left to right): Tania Beavers, Daniel Ramos, Amy Jusak, Natalia Plasencia, Lynne Ramirez and Pilar Barahona. Below are safety tips from Safe Kids to share with everyone! Cherokee County Health Department is so proud to work with SafeKids Cherokee. Together, they have made Cherokee County a healthier and safer place. Click on the pic below to see SafeKids Tips for Boating Safety:

Para leer este mensaje en Español, haga clic en 'Español' en la parte superior de esta página a la derecha

Note: CDC has updated the Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Authorized in the United States to reflect the following changes in the mRNA COVID-19 vaccination schedule: 

• At the time of initial vaccination, depending on vaccine product, children ages 6 months–4 years are recommended to receive 2 or 3 bivalent mRNA vaccine doses; children age 5 years are recommended to receive 1 or 2 bivalent mRNA vaccine doses. 
• People ages 6 years and older who are unvaccinated or previously received only monovalent vaccine doses are recommended to receive 1 bivalent mRNA vaccine dose. 
• People ages 65 years and older may receive 1 additional bivalent mRNA vaccine dose. 

Updated clinical guidance for individuals who are immunocompromised will be shared as soon as possible.

• CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines and boosters for all eligible children and adults.

  Lost your COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card? Click here to learn what to do.

  These vaccines are offered at our Public Health Departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens, and Whitfield counties, but to be sure the type of COVID-19 vaccine you may want or need is available when you arrive, click on your county's name above to contact your local health department. Otherwise, No Appointment is needed during regular clinic hours. Cuurently, there is No Cost to clients for this vaccine, and No Identification is required.

  ---

  Note: COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for children ages 6 months through 17. Adult consent for minors is required. For more information about COVID-19 vaccine and booster recommendations for children and teens, please visit the CDC's COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens. (See the COVID-19 Vaccine Consent Form in English and in Spanish).

  ---

• 3rd Shots for people with certain immunocompromised conditions are available at our health departments, and so are...

• Booster Shots: Available for residents who are eligible and have reached the recommended time period for a booster shot since receiving their primary series of shots, including eligible immunocompromised people whose primary series included a 3rd shot. The latest information on all recommended COVID-19 booster vaccine is available on the CDC website.

Again, no appointment is needed for COVID-19 vaccination during regular clinic hours at Health Departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens, and Whitfield counties... be sure to look for your County Health Department's CLINIC HOURS and Location by clicking on the name of your county above.

North GA – No Appointment is needed for COVID-19 Vaccination in the North Georgia Health District during regular clinic hours at Public Health Departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens, and Whitfield counties. There is NO Cost to clients, regardless of healthcare coverage. No Identification is required.

Nearly 250,000 residents in the North Georgia Health District are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and our state, district and county public health officials continue to urge anyone who has not yet gotten fully vaccinated to do so right away.