- Written by Jennifer King, District Public Information Officer
- Category: Media Releases
Health officials warn: Avoid all unfamiliar animals
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Canton, GA – A man was bitten by a raccoon on Wednesday, June 2nd while biking on the Blankets Creek Mountain Bike Trail on Sixes Road in Canton. This incident is not related to the raccoon attack that occurred earlier this week in Woodstock, even though both Canton and Woodstock are in Cherokee County, Georgia.
The bicyclist was in the Dwelling Loop section of the trail at about 4 PM on Wednesday when he stopped to feed a raccoon he thought was injured. The raccoon bit down on the bicyclist’s hand, but because the man wore bike gloves, there was no puncture to his skin or nails. Emergency room attendants, who later examined the man at Northside Cherokee Hospital, determined no further treatment was needed.
The raccoon was not submitted for testing, so whether the animal was infected with rabies is unknown.
Cherokee County Environmental Health officials contacted the bicyclist to recommend that he call Georgia Poison Control for any further guidance he may need, and environmental health will work with trail maintenance to have warning signs placed in the area.
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- Written by Jennifer King, District Public Information Officer
- Category: Media Releases
Para leer este mensaje en Español, haga clic en 'Español' en la parte superior de esta página a la derecha
Woodstock, GA – Cherokee County Environmental Health officials advised that a raccoon attacked and bit a person on June 1st at River Chase Drive in Woodstock. The behavior of the raccoon indicated a strong probability it is rabid. The raccoon was neither captured nor killed, so residents are urged to take these necessary precautions:
Report any sightings of a raccoon in that area to Animal Control at (678) 493-4080.
- Avoid all contact with raccoons and other wild mammals. If you are bitten or scratched, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Rabies is usually fatal without preventive anti-rabies treatments.
- Children should be taught to avoid contact with wild mammals and to report any such contact to a parent or another adult who is in charge immediately. Remind children that wild animals are not pets and that wild mammals with rabies may sometimes appear tame and friendly, or they could appear sick.
- If bitten or scratched by a raccoon or other wild mammal, wash the wound immediately with soap and water for several minutes and then apply a skin disinfectant. Seek medical attention as soon as possible. Report the bite to Environmental Health at (770) 479-0444.
Cherokee County Environmental Health staff are canvassing the area with a printed advisory (please click the graphic) to ensure residents are aware of the incident and will watch for this raccoon and others that could potentially be rabies-infected.
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- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
Woodstock Health Center Resumes All Public Health Services
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Cherokee County, GA – On Monday, June 7, 2021, the Cherokee County Health Department will move COVID-19 vaccine distribution from Canton First Baptist Church to the health department centers in Canton and Woodstock. Also on Monday, public health services that had been suspended at the Woodstock Health Center due to the focus on the pandemic, will resume. Services at the Canton Health Center had not been suspended and will continue to be offered.
Information about the wide range of public health services and programs offered to Cherokee County residents is provided on the North Georgia Health District website at https://nghd.org/nghd-locations-listing/category/cherokee.
The health center hours are:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday - 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday - 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday - 7:30 AM - 1:00 PM
To make an appointment for public health services offered at the health centers in Cherokee County, call (770) 345-7371 for the 1219 Univeter Road location in Canton or call (770) 329-0133 for the health center located at 7545 North Main Street in Woodstock.
No appointment is needed for a COVID-19 vaccination and no identification is required. The vaccine is provided at no-cost to individuals.
Everyone 12 years of age and older is urged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 immediately to help stop the spread of the virus. The health centers will offer Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, depending on availability, and Pfizer vaccine is the only one approved for children ages 12 to 17.
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- Written by Jennifer King, Public Information Officer
- Category: Media Releases
North GA – Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is approved for youths ages 12 to 17, and public health officials in North Georgia strongly recommend that they get their vaccine as soon as possible this summer to be fully vaccinated before the new school year begins.
Health departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield counties offer Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, but some health departments are capable of maintaining only a limited number of doses, so it is best to call the health department ahead of arrival to confirm Pfizer vaccine is available that day (please see phone numbers below). The health departments will also conduct special vaccine clinics to make it easier for young residents to get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine that is approved for them. Public announcements about these vaccine clinics are being posted online in North Georgia Health District News at https://nghd.org/news.
COVID-19 vaccine is no-cost at the health departments. No appointment is needed. No identification is required.
Minors must have the consent of a parent or legal guardian to be vaccinated (access the COVID-19 Vaccine Consent Form in English or in Spanish).
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