- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
Don't Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today!
(Dalton) – September is recognized as National Preparedness Month (NPM) and serves as a reminder that we all must take action to prepare, now and throughout the year, for the type of emergencies that could affect us where we live, work and visit.
As part of the bi-annual Whitfield PrepareAthon! campaign, the Whitfield County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and Whitfield County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) are working with local community partners to help residents prepare.
Amy Cooley, Whitfield County EMA Emergency Specialist, said, “Our PrepareAthon! events for National Preparedness Month include a Pillow Case Project for 3rd-5th graders with the American Red Cross on September 22nd at the Dalton-Whitfield County Public Library at 5 PM. We invite residents to join us and bring their children. We will be providing preparedness information while the children learn about personal and family preparedness. The other event is actually in October, and that's our annual Community Disaster Awareness Day at Home Depot in Dalton in conjunction with their Safety Day on Saturday, October 1st from 9 AM to 12 PM. This is a fun event filled with great activities for the whole family as they learn how to prepare for disaster and participate in Home Depot's Kid Workshop.”
The National Preparedness Month theme, “Don’t Wait, Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today”, emphasizes the importance of preparedness for youth, older adults and people with disabilities as well as for anyone with access and functional needs.Businesses, organizations, communities and individuals should take time this month to help make America more prepared for emergencies by following the weekly Ready.gov plan:
- Promote NPM: August 28-September 3 – Kickoff to National Preparedness Month
- Find resources to promote NPM at: www.ready.gov/september
- Week 2: September 4-10 – Preparing Family & Friends
- Week 3: September 11-17 – Preparing Through Service
- Honor 9/11 by Getting involved in your community & planning with neighbors.
- Week 4: September 18-24 – Individual Preparedness
- Take individual steps to prepare for a disaster today like downloading the FEMA app.
- Week 5: September 25-30 – Lead up to National PrepareAthon Day
- Be counted and register your preparedness event for National PrepareAthon Day!
- Hits: 3218
- Written by DPH Communications
- Category: Media Releases
August is National Immunization Awareness Month
August is a busy month with back-to-school shopping, last minute family vacations, registering for school and recent graduates leaving for college. As summer comes to an end and the school year begins, people often forget to check if they and their family members are up-to-date on their vaccinations.
August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) and the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) reminds Georgians to get a head start on vaccinations required for school.
“August is a great time of year to engage the community regarding vaccinations,” said Sheila Lovett, Immunization program director for DPH. “It’s the perfect time to make vaccinating a priority in our communities.”
This year, each week of NIAM focuses on a different stage of the life span:
- Adults (Aug. 1-7)
- Pregnant women (Aug. 8-14)
- Babies and young children (Aug. 15-21)
- Preteens and teens (Aug. 22-28)
Vaccinations protect our families and communities; especially infants and those individuals who are unable to be immunized or who have weakened immune systems. Every adult in Georgia (19 years of age and older) should follow the recommended immunization schedule by age and medical condition.
It is always a good idea to have the adult vaccine schedule nearby as a reference and to make sure you are current on your immunizations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers the 2016 Recommended Immunizations schedule to help you remember when to talk with your doctor about your vaccinations.
DPH hosts an annual Immunize Georgia Conference that educates health care providers on the latest requirements, updates and news regarding immunization services. It is an effort to connect public and private health practitioners for a common cause: improving Georgia's immunization rates and protecting every adult and child from vaccine-preventable diseases.
The conference brings world-renowned speakers including subject matter experts from CDC, Emory University and other top-tier research universities and respected hospitals from across the country. Participants can earn continuing education credits, network with peers and take the GRITS 101 training.
Register for the Immunize Georgia Conference at www.immunizegeorgia.com. To learn more about vaccinations for adults and children, visit CDC at www.cdc.gov/vaccines.
- Hits: 2959
- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
Dalton, GA – Upper level parking at the Whitfield County Health Department on Professional Boulevard in Dalton will be closed Thursday, July 28 and Friday, July 29 due to ongoing construction of a new public safety communication system tower nearby at the Whitfield 911 Center. However, parking will be available to health department visitors this Thursday and Friday at the lower parking level at the back of the building. All regular parking spaces are expected to be available by the following Monday. Please call the Whitfield County Health Department at (706) 279-9600 with any questions or concerns.
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- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
Pickens County Health Department provides all State Health Requirements for School Students!
Prepare your child for the upcoming school year. The Pickens County Health Department will conduct a Back-to-School Bash Health Clinic on Tuesday, July 19th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The health department is located at 60 Health Way in Jasper. This is the One-Stop Spot for school students’ state health requirements. The clinic is offering required Hearing, Dental, Vision and BMI/Nutrition Screenings and providing Immunizations for school-age children. The clinic is accepting Medicaid (including AmeriGroup, PeachState and WellCare) and PeachCare for Kids. For more information or to check on additional insurances accepted, please call (706) 253-2821.
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