- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
Murray County, GA – North Georgia Health District officials announced today that two pet dogs in a heavily populated neighborhood in Chatsworth, Georgia may have been exposed to a skunk that has now tested positive for rabies. Officials warn that the skunk had been seen a few days earlier in the same neighborhood and any pets there could be exposed to other potentially infected animals. Therefore, all unvaccinated dogs and cats in the area should receive a rabies shot immediately. Pets overdue for a shot should be vaccinated, as well.
No human exposure to the skunk has been reported.
The skunk was found dead last week in the yard of a home within a neighborhood off Tom Gregory Drive behind Eton Elementary School. It is possible one or both dogs living at the home killed the skunk, potentially exposing them to rabies. However, one dog is vaccinated against the disease. Confirmation of the vaccination status for the other dog is pending.
As soon as Murray County Environmental Health staff received notice of positive test results for rabies in the skunk from the Georgia Public Health Laboratory, they canvassed the area, notifying neighbors of the incident and urged them to ensure their pets are currently vaccinated to protect them against any other animals that may have been exposed.
All residents are reminded to maintain rabies vaccinations in their pets and to avoid contact with unfamiliar animals, both wild and domesticated.
To learn more about rabies and how to protect against it, call the local county environmental health office. The number for Murray County Environmental Health is (706) 695-0266, ext. 371.
Additional rabies information is available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at www.cdc.gov/rabies.
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- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website
CDC recommends two doses of HPV vaccination at ages 11-12 to protect against cancers caused by HPV infections. See six important reasons to get HPV vaccine for your child, and talk to your local county health department in North Georgia about HPV cancer prevention at ages 11-12... your health department offers the vaccine! (Click the name of your county in the above toolbar for county health department contact and location information)
1 HPV is common. Almost every person who is sexually active will acquire HPV at some time in their life without HPV vaccination. About 14 million Americans, including teens, become infected with HPV each year.
While most HPV infections will go away on their own, infections that don’t go away can cause certain types of cancer in men and women. HPV can cause:
- cancers of the cervix, vagina, and vulva in women;
- cancers of the penis in men; and
- cancers of the anus and back of the throat (including the base of the tongue and tonsils) in men and women.
2 HPV vaccination is preventing cancer-causing infections. Since HPV vaccination was introduced over 10 years ago, HPV infections have dropped significantly. Infections with HPV types that cause most HPV cancers and genital warts have dropped 71 percent among teen girls.
3 HPV vaccination is cancer prevention. HPV causes over 32,000 cases of cancer in men and women every year in the U.S. HPV vaccination can prevent over 90% (30,000) of these cancers from ever developing by preventing the infections that cause those cancers.
4 Getting HPV vaccine for your child now is better than treating an HPV cancer later in life. While doctors routinely screen for cervical cancer, there are no recommended cancer screening tests for the other 20,000 cases of cancers caused by HPV infections each year in the United States.
HPV vaccination can prevent these cancers from ever developing.
5 Three vaccines are recommended for 11-12 year olds to protect against the infections that can cause meningitis, HPV cancers, and whooping cough.
You can take advantage of any visit to your child’s doctor get recommended vaccines for your child, including sports physicals or annual checkups before the school year.
6 You can give your child safe, effective, and long-lasting protection from cancers caused by HPV with two doses of HPV vaccine at ages 11-12. With over 100 million doses distributed in the United States, HPV vaccine has a reassuring safety record that’s backed by 10 years of monitoring and research.
Like any vaccine or medicine, HPV vaccines can cause side effects. The most common side effects are mild and include pain, redness, or swelling in the arm where the shot was given; dizziness, fainting, nausea, and headache. Fainting after any vaccine, including HPV vaccine, is more common among adolescents.
To prevent fainting and injuries related to fainting, adolescents should be seated or lying down during vaccination and remain in that position for 15 minutes after the vaccine is given. The benefits of HPV vaccination far outweigh any potential risk of side effects.
For more information on HPV vaccine, visit: www.cdc.gov/hpv/parents/vaccine.html
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- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
Your One-Stop Spot for All School State Health Requirements!
It's hot fun in the summertime now, but those school bells will soon be ringing... does your child meet all Georgia's health requirements for school registration? Click here to view all the state's school health requirements and then call or come to your county public health department in North Georgia in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens or Whitfield County to get your child up-to-date! This is your one-stop spot to take care of all your student's school health requirements. The health departments offer the required Hearing, Dental and Vision screening, BMI/Nutrition screening and Immunizations. Prices are affordable and various forms of Medicaid and health insurance are accepted.
Also, click below to get details on special Back To School Health Clinics being conducted by some of our county health departments during July!
Cherokee County Health Department - July 24th
Pickens County Health Department - July 24th
Fannin County Health Department - July 31st
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- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
Is your child ready for the upcoming school year? The Fannin County Health Department is conducting a Back To School Rush Health Clinic on Tuesday, July 31st from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at their location in Blue Ridge. The required Hearing, Dental, Vision and BMI/Nutrition Screenings will be available: Total cost for screenings is $50. Also, immunizations will be provided for school-age children for $21.90 each (for uninsured or underinsured). Medicaid, including Amerigroup, Caresource, Peachstate, Wellcare, and Peachcare for Kids are accepted. Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Ambetter, CIGNA, HUMANA, AETNA, Coventry and Meritain are also accepted. The health department is located at 95 Ouida Street in Blue Ridge, Georgia. For more information, call (706) 632-3023.
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