NORTH GEORGIA HEALTH DISTRICT

Healthy people, families, and communities.
  • NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

    NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

NGHD Corp featured in DCN Mar 2024 FBBrittney Carmichael, Public Health Analyst-Overdose Surveillance and Planning, North Georgia Health District, quoted in Daily Citizen

 

Read all about it! Our NGHD Community Overdose Response Program was featured in the 2024 Progress Edition of the Dalton Daily Citizen! Go to this link to see what Brittney Carmichael, our dedicated Opioid and Substance Misuse Response Program coordinator, has to say about the effects of the current opioid crisis in this area and the significant prevention efforts that are happening in our communities, along with vital resources: https://bit.ly/DCN_OpioidCrisis-VitalResources_ProgEd.

 

 

CLOSED for Good Friday Mar. 28 Fri. Mar 29 FBVer opción en Español en la parte superior de esta página

Our Health Departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens, and Whitfield counties will be closed from Thursday, March 28th at 1 PM thru all day Friday, March 29th, but we look forward to serving you again on Monday, April 1st! All public health services in North Georgia will be closed on Friday. Find our services on our home page at nghd.org.

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Per the following Georgia Department of Public Health press release, please note that MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccines are available at our Health Departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens, and Whitfield counties during regular clinic hours. Please click on the name of your county to find their contact information and clinic hours.

 DPH masthead

NEWS RELEASE

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                               

March 22, 2024                                                                         

 

Increase in Measles Cases and Outbreaks in the U.S. and Globally

MMR Vaccine is Safe and Effective in Preventing Measles

 

ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is urging parents to make sure their children are up to date with their measles vaccinations. Measles vaccination is important for all children to prevent measles infection and reduce the risk of community transmission, but it is especially important for families with children planning to travel outside of the United States.

Among 58 measles cases reported in the U.S. so far in 2024, 54 (93%) were linked to international travel. Most cases reported this year have been among children over the age of 12 months who had not received MMR vaccine. In Georgia, there have been two reported cases of measles in 2024. The individuals were unvaccinated, from the same family, and had traveled outside of the country.

Measles is very contagious and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The measles virus can stay in the air for up to 2 hours after an infected person is there so you can become infected by simply being in a room where an infected person once was. 

Measles can be prevented with the MMR vaccine which is safe and highly effective. Two doses of MMR vaccine are 97% effective against measles, one dose is 93% effective. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends children receive their first dose of MMR vaccine between 12-15 months of age and a second dose between 4-6 years old. At least two weeks before traveling internationally, infants aged 6 to 11 months should have one dose of MMR vaccine and children aged 12 months and older should have two doses of MMR vaccine. Parents should consult with their child’s healthcare provider to ensure they are up to date with their MMR vaccines and any additional vaccines that may be needed.

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World TB Day banner

26 2024 World TB DAY TammyBowling FBTW"We are delighted to announce that one of our own, Tammy Bowling, RN, BSN, TB Program Coordinator for North Georgia Health District 1-2, has been selected as a 2024 CDC U.S. TB Elimination Champion! Her dedication to all aspects of TB elimination, from overseeing her district’s TB program, to case management, to mentoring and educating staff, to involvement in committees concerning TB policies, procedures, protocols, and much more, makes Tammy a TB champion that goes above and beyond! Way to go, Tammy – Congratulations!!" - Ashley Deverell, RN, BSN, district Infectious Disease Director

 Learn How to Think, Test, Treat TB. Click HERE!

CDC TB Elim Champ TBowlingThe CDC stated online: "Congratulations to the 2024 CDC U.S. TB Elimination Champions for your contributions to preventing and controlling TB in the United States. We are sharing these inspiring success stories through CDC's websiteX, and Facebook accounts, and hope that they help and inspire others."

 

North GA - Each year, the North Georgia Health District joins the CDC and healthcare partners around the globe in recognizing World TB Day on March 24. This annual event commemorates the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacillus that causes tuberculosis (TB). Learn more about the History of World TB Day.

World TB Day is a day to educate the public about the impact of TB around the world. The CDC, along with our partners and colleagues around the world share successes in TB prevention and control and raise awareness of the challenges that hinder our progress toward the elimination of this devastating disease.

The CDC and its domestic and international partners, including the National TB Controllers AssociationStop TB USAWe Are TB, the TB Elimination Alliance, and the global Stop TB Partnership, are working together to eliminate this deadly disease.

Find information about how to Think, Test, and Treat TB, and learn more about the CDC’s global efforts to prevent, find, and cure tuberculosis.