Beat the back to school rush at the doctor’s office 

North Georgia – While no one likes getting shots, getting a shot lasts just seconds; diseases last much longer.

In an effort to protect every adult and child, the Georgia Department of Public Health established Georgia Preteen Vaccine Awareness Week, observed March 13-19, 2016, to serve as a reminder for parents to talk with their preteens and teens about getting immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases.

“Our preteens are branching out. They go to overnight camps, attend parties and play sports – they are becoming increasingly social. While these are all fun parts of being a teenager, they can also increase their risk for contracting potentially life-threatening diseases,” said Sheila Lovett, director for the Georgia Department of Public Health Immunization Program. "Let’s protect our children by vaccinating them when they are most vulnerable to exposure to vaccine-preventable diseases.”

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health Rule (511-2-2), all students born on or after January 1, 2002, entering or transferring into seventh grade and any “new entrant” into eighth -12^th grades in Georgia need proof of an adolescent pertussis (whooping cough) booster vaccination (called “Tdap”) AND an adolescent meningococcal vaccination (MenACWY). This law affects all public and private schools, including, but not limited to charter schools, community schools, juvenile court schools and other alternative school settings (excluding home schools).

These vaccines are available at county public health departments in the North Georgia Health District. Health department locations and phone numbers are as follows:

Cherokee: 1219 Univeter Road, Canton, GA 30115 - (770) 345-7371 / 7545 North Main Street, Woodstock, GA 30188 - (770) 928-0133

Fannin: 95 Ouida Street, Blue Ridge, GA - (706) 632-3023

Gilmer: 28 Southside Church Street, Ellijay, GA 30540 - (706) 635-4363

Murray: 709 Old Dalton-Ellijay Road, Chatsworth, GA 30705 - (706) 695-4585

Pickens: 60 Health Way, Jasper, GA 30143 - (706) 253-2821

Whitfield: 800 Professional Boulevard, Dalton, GA 30720 - (706) 226-2621

Vaccines are the best defense we have against serious, preventable and sometimes deadly contagious diseases. They help avoid expensive therapies and hospitalization needed to treat infectious diseases like influenza and meningitis. Immunizations also reduce absences both at school and after school activities and decrease the spread of illness at home, school and the community.

Marie Smith, Immunization and Child Health Coordinator for the North Georgia Health District, said, “Immunization is the most effective measure against infection so we are reminding parents to talk with their preteens about gettingvaccinated. We are also stressing the importance of vaccination in our communities to better ensure that diseases such as pertussis, HPV, meningococcal meningitis and influenza become less of a threat to our children.” 

The CDC currently recommends the following vaccines for preteens and teens:

• Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis (Tdap)
• Influenza (flu)
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV) - three doses
• Meningococcal Disease (MenACWY) 

Georgia Preteen Vaccine Awareness Week is an opportunity to raise awareness through schools, health care providers and the media regarding preteen immunizations, particularly Georgia’s pertussis and meningococcal requirements for incoming seventh-grade students. Speak with your physician today to find out if your preteen is up-to-date and if not, make a date to vaccinate.

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