RECENT NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
North Georgia - Recent woods and brush fires could cause wild or stray animals to move into residential areas. Residents are strongly cautioned that contact with such animals could result in rabies exposure. Tell your children not to pet or have other contact with wild or stray animals. Very few wild or stray animals have or carry rabies but it is always best to leave them alone unless you or your pets are attacked. Never approach a wild or stray animal exhibiting abnormal behaviors such as appearing to be friendly, disoriented, sick or aggressive. North Georgia - Due to smoky conditions that may occur in your area because of wildfire, public health officials of the North Georgia Health District urge residents to take precautions.
Smoke from a brushfire or wildfire is a mix of gases and particles from burning vegetation and other materials that can be harmful even to people who are healthy if there is enough smoke in the air. According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), breathing in smoke can have immediate health effects, including:
- Coughing
- Trouble breathing normally
- Stinging eyes
- A scratchy throat
- Runny nose
- Irritated sinuses
- Wheezing and shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Headaches
- An asthma attack
- Tiredness
- Fast heartbeat
Older adults, pregnant women, children, and people with preexisting respiratory and heart conditions may be more likely to get sick if they breathe in wildfire smoke.
If possible, limit your exposure to smoke. Here are some tips to help you protect your health:
- When a brushfire or wildfire occurs in your area, watch for news or health warnings about smoke.
- If you are told to stay indoors, stay indoors and keep your indoor air as clean as possible. Keep windows and doors closed unless it is very hot outside. Run an air conditioner if you have one - seek shelter elsewhere if you do not and it is too warm to stay inside with the windows closed.
- Follow your doctor's advice about medicines and about your respiratory management plan if you have asthma or another lung disease. Call your doctor if your symptoms worsen.
- Avoid smoke exposure during outdoor recreation.
For more information about protecting against wildfires, log onto the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/wildfires/.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Fannin County Health Department staff wear pink to urge residents to learn what they can do for themselves and loved ones to prevent breast cancer or to find it early. Deaths from breast cancer have declined over time but is still the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the U.S. Early detection is key! Contact the Fannin County Health Department for more information at (706) 632-3023 or log onto www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast.
Thirty years ago this month Ronald Reagan signed into law landmark legislation, the Amendments to the Education of the Handicapped Act (now known as IDEA), that created the Infants and Toddlers with disabilities Program. . . Click on the video below and help us celebrate! To learn more about public health Children's Medical Services, see the attached flyer, contact your local county health department (see above LOCATIONS tab) or call the North Georgia Health District at (706) 529-5757.
Gilmer County Health Department will host Free Walk-In Clinical Breast Exams for qualified patients on Wednesday, October 26th from 8 AM to 11 AM. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and it's time to remind the public that the key to breast cancer survival is early detection! Breast cancer is the second most common kind of cancer in women. About 1 in 8 women born today in the United States will get breast cancer at some point. . . but the good news is that many women can survive breast cancer if it’s found and treated early. Regular screening for breast cancer can help find breast cancer early when it’s easier to treat. Contact the Gilmer County Health Department at (706) 635-4363 to learn more about free clinical breast exams offered on the 26th or just come by the health department that day at 28 Southside Church Street in Ellijay. Learn more about cancer and its prevention at www.cdc.gov/cancer.
Pink symbolizes breast cancer awareness and Whitfield County Health Department employees are wearing their pink to remind residents that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. About 1 in 8 women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of a lifetime, but as of 2016, there are more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in this country. Breast cancer awareness and early diagnosis are key to breast cancer prevention and survival! Contact the Whitfield County Health Department at (706) 281-2259 for a check-up and mammogram referral and to receive breast cancer prevention and awareness information. Learn more about cancer and its prevention at www.cdc.gov/cancer.
Staff of the Pickens County Health Department poses in pink to remind residents that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, except lung cancer. But, currently, there are more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in this country. . . Early diagnosis is key! Contact the Pickens County Health Department at (706) 253-2821 for a check-up and mammogram referral and to receive breast cancer prevention and awareness information. Learn more about cancer and its prevention at www.cdc.gov/cancer.
Breast Cancer Awareness Day is Wednesday, October 26 at the Murray County Health Department. Free breast exams will be offered from 7:30 AM to 11 AM and from 1 PM to 3:30 PM. No appointment is necessary! Breast cancer prevention education will also be available. *Chatsworth Mayor Tyson Haynes has declared October to be Breast Cancer Prevention and Awareness Month and is urging all Chatsworth residents and residents of Murray County to save a life and get checked. Find out more about how you can prevent breast cancer for yourself or for someone you love at the Breast Cancer Awareness Day event at Murray County Health Department on Old Dalton-Ellijay Road in Chatsworth. Call (706) 695-4585 for details. For more information about breast cancer and the prevention of this and other types of cancer, log onto www.cdc.gov/cancer.
Offices of the North Georgia Health District and Public Health Departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield Counties are CLOSED on Monday, October 10th for Columbus Day. This closing also includes all Environmental Health, WIC and Children's Health services. Normal hours of operation will resume on Tuesday. Happy Columbus Day!
Fast, Safe, Convenient – Oct 11!
The Drive-by Flu Shot Clinic is rolling into Chatsworth, and all you’ll need to do is roll in, roll up a sleeve and get the shot that will protect you all flu season. The Murray County Health Department and community partners will conduct their annual Drive-by Flu Shot Clinic on Tuesday, October 11th from 8 am to 6 pm at the Murray County Parks and Recreation Department while practicing local emergency Point of Dispensing operations. 4-in-1 Quadrivalent Flu Shots will be $25 and Fluzone High Dose Flu Shots for people 65 and older will be $58. Cash, checks, Medicare, Medicaid, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana and United Healthcare Insurance will be accepted. The CDC recommends getting a flu shot each year. The fastest, most convenient way to get that shot is at the Drive-by Flu Shot Clinic in Chatsworth! The Murray County Parks and Recreation Department is at 651 Hyden Tyler Road in Chatsworth, GA. Call (706) 695-4585 for more information.