- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
North Georgia – Getting a flu shot was never easier than at the Drive-by Flu Shot Clinics held this fall in North Georgia. 1,573 residents of Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield Counties rolled in, rolled up a sleeve and armed themselves in time for flu season.The annual Drive-by Flu Shot Clinics began this year in Jasper on September 22nd and ended in Ellijay on October 15th.
At the clinics, county health department staff offered the quadrivalent flu shot that protects against four strains of flu as well as Fluzone High Dose, which provides added protection for people ages 65 and older.
Additionally, the clinics served as an opportunity for the county health departments and partnering agencies to test local plans for rapidly administering medication during a public health crisis. Participating community partners included local law enforcement, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs), businesses and first responders such as the county Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Medical Services and Fire Departments.
“Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death,” said Dr. Zachary Taylor, health director for North Georgia Health District 1-2 of the Georgia Department of Public Health. “This year’s drive-by flu shot clinics provided convenient opportunities to get immunized against influenza and we are happy that over 1500 residents came for a vaccination. However, anyone who has not yet been immunized should contact their local health department or private healthcare provider to arrange for a flu shot right away.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this time of year is when flu viruses begin circulating at higher levels in the U.S. population, so a well-timed seasonal flu vaccination each year is the best way to reduce the chances of getting seasonal flu and spreading it to others. When more people are vaccinated in a community, less flu can spread throughout that local population. 1
The CDC also recommends everyday preventive actions to avoid the spread of flu: 2
- Avoid close contact with sick people.
- While sick, limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
- If sick with flu-like symptoms – such as fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, runny nose, fatigue or vomiting and/or diarrhea – stay home for at least 24 hours after fever is gone without the aid of medication.
- Cover the nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, then throw the tissue away.
- Wash hands often with soap and water, if available – if not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth – germs spread this way.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu.
For more information about influenza, its prevention and treatment, log onto the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/flu.
To contact a county health department in the North Georgia Health District for a flu shot or to find the nearest health department location, log onto www.nghd.org and click on the LOCATIONS tab.
(View photos of each county's Drive-by Flu Shot Clinic on Facebook)
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1 CDC – Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm)
2 CDC – Flu Symptoms & Severity (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/symptoms.htm)
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- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
Breast Cancer Awareness Day will be held on Wednesday, October 21 at the Murray County Health Department from 8 AM to 4 PM! Free breast exams will be offered with no appointment necessary and breast cancer prevention education will be available to everyone. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Chatsworth Mayor Dan Penland signed a proclamation declaring it to be Breast Cancer Awareness Month for the city of Chatsworth. So, find out more about how you can prevent breast cancer for yourself or for someone you love at Breast Cancer Awareness Day at the Murray County Health Department on Old Dalton-Ellijay Road in Chatsworth. Call (706) 695-4585 for details. For more information about Breast Cancer Awareness and the prevention of other types of cancer, log onto www.cdc.gov/cancer.
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- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
September is National Preparedness Month
Whitfield Community Disaster Awareness Day Event is October 3!
DALTON, Georgia – September is National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Whitfield County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) will culminate the month with Community Disaster Awareness Day at Home Depot at 875 Shugart Road in Dalton from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, October 3.Community Disaster Awareness Day is being held in conjunction with Home Depot’s Safety Day and Whitfield’s PrepareAthon! campaign.
The public is invited to attend this fun, family event and learn how to prepare for and protect against disasters. Call (706) 259-3730 for more information.
The theme for National Preparedness Month (NPM) 2015 is Don’t Wait. Communicate. MakeYour Emergency Plan Today.
Residents are urged to take action now – make a plan with your community, your family, and for your pets. Plan how to stay safe and communicate during the disasters that can affect your community. Everyone is asked to participate in America’s PrepareAthon! and the national day of action, National PrepareAthon! Day, September 30, the final day of National Preparedness Month.
The Whitfield County EMA and LEPC encourage everyone to take time to prepare for a disaster before it happens. Floods, wildfire, hurricanes, power outages . . . these are just a few disaster-related events that residents need to prepare for AHEAD of time.
Go to ready.ga.gov for information regarding preparedness and learn how you can prepare yourself, your family and your community for disaster!
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- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
North Georgia – Residents can once again roll in, roll up a sleeve and arm against four strains of flu at Drive-by Flu Shot Clinics opening soon throughout North Georgia.Always fast, safe, and convenient, public health departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield Counties have conducted the Drive-by Flu Shot Clinics annually since 2008. These clinics are designed to serve people quickly and efficiently as they remain in their vehicles.
Drive-by Flu Shot Clinics in each of these counties will offer the four-in-one quadrivalent flu vaccine plus the Fluzone High Dose vaccine for people who are sixty-five and older.
Marie Smith, immunization and child health coordinator for North Georgia Health District 1-2 of the Georgia Department of Public Health, said, “Quadrivalent flu vaccine is designed to protect against four different strains of flu, including two influenza A viruses and two influenza B viruses.”
The Fluzone High-Dose influenza vaccine has four times the amount of antigen (the part of the vaccine that prompts the body to make antibodies) contained in regular flu vaccine to provide extra protection for people 65 and older whose immune systems have become weaker with age.
The cost of the quadrivalent flu shot at the Drive-by Flu Shot Clinics will be $25 and the Fluzone High-Dose flu shot will cost $50. Cash, Medicare, Medicaid, Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield Health Insurance will be accepted, as well as some other forms of payment and insurance, depending on the county.
The Drive-by Flu Shot Clinics also provide public health staff and community partners with the opportunity to test their plans for rapidly administering medication during a public health crisis such as a widespread disease outbreak. Participating community partners include local law enforcement, volunteers, businesses and first responders such as the county Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Medical Services and Fire Department.
The Drive-by Flu Shot Clinics are scheduled in each county, as follows:
Cherokee: Wednesday, October 14th, 7:30 A.M. – 4:30 P.M., Woodstock Health Center: 7545 North Main Street, Woodstock, GA. Call (770) 928-0133 or (770) 345-7371 for more details.
Fannin: Thursday, October 1st, 9 A.M. – 5 P.M., The Farmers Market: East First Street, Blue Ridge, GA. Call (706) 632-3023 for more details.
*Gilmer: Thursday, October 15th, 8 A.M. – 4 P.M., Pleasant Grove Baptist Church: 115 Pleasant Grove Road, Ellijay, GA. Call (706) 635-4363 for more details.
Murray: Tuesday, October 13th, 8 A.M. – 6 P.M., Murray County Parks and Recreation Department: 651 Hyden Tyler Road, Chatsworth, GA. Call (706) 695-4585 for more details.
Pickens: Tuesday, September 22nd, 8 A.M. – 4 P.M., Mt. Zion Baptist Church: 1036 North Main Street, Jasper, GA. Call (706) 253-2821 for more details.
Whitfield: Tuesday, October 6th, 8 A.M. – 5:30 P.M., Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center: 2211 Dug Gap Battle Road, Dalton, GA. Call (706) 226-2621 for more details.
*Please note the new location for Gilmer County’s Drive-By Flu Shot Clinic.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccination each season.
The most convenient way to get that vaccination in North Georgia will be at the nearest county health department’s Drive-by Flu Shot Clinic.
For additional details about the Drive-by Flu Shot Clinics, call the local county health department (phone numbers can be found by clicking on the LOCATIONS tab above) or continue to visit us here at www.nghd.org for updates. To learn more about influenza and flu protection, log onto the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/flu/.
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