- Written by Jennifer King, District Public Information Officer
- Category: Hot Topics
| Cherokee - Low | Murray - Low |
| Fannin - Low | Pickens - Low |
| Gilmer - Low | Whitfield - Low |
Our District's Latest COVID-19 Updates:
The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) follows the guidance and recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) for all COVID-19 vaccine, at all stages of dosage, including the Updated Bivalent COVID-19 Boosters. Access the latest recommendations for all approved doses of COVID-19 vaccine and eligibilities HERE and note that all COVID-19 vaccine doses are available with no appointment needed at each county health department in the North Georgia Health District, which includes Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens, and Whitfield counties.
The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) continues to closely monitor an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by coronavirus (COVID-19) first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019, as well as its variants, and is regularly coordinating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for information on the virus and the latest variants. Cases have been identified globally, in the United States, and in Georgia.
This continues to be an evolving situation and information is subject to change, so here is where you can conveniently link to all updated information from both Georgia DPH and the CDC.
There have been over 2 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Georgia and thousands of related deaths. However, there are now over 6 million Georgians fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including nearly 250,000 residents in the North Georgia Health District. Click here to go to the Georgia DPH COVID-19 Status Report.
Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine and live or work in Georgia?
Learn More... Click HERE.
Dr. Pablo Perez, internist in Dalton GA, receives a COVID-19 vaccination from Robin Coffey, registered nurse for the Whitfield County Health Department, on Dec.18, 2020, as the initial roll-out of COVID-19 vaccine begins in North Georgia and statewide to healthcare workers and first responders.
CHEROKEE - FANNIN - GILMER
MURRAY - PICKENS - WHITFIELD
Click HERE for Health District Overview All posted data was captured on 2-6-2024
Updated COVID-19 Status in Georgia Report
Click here to find Georgia's COVID-19 daily status of case and hospitalizations with interactive charts and graphs.
Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Status in Georgia Report
Click on the icon for the latest vaccine updates and access the Georgia DPH Dashboard for all the latest COVID-19 vaccine data in Georgia.
Updated COVID-19 Testing Information
COVID-19 testing is available to all Georgians who request it, whether they have symptoms or not. Get updated information about COVID-19 testing and test providers in Georgia.
Updated COVID-19 Guidance
Find out the latest COVID-19 Guidance provided by the Georgia Department of Public health, including procedures and protocols to help stop the spread.
Check out the PDF version of a children’s book that helps children understand our COVID-19 pandemic world when returning to school. Below is the book titled “I Am Going Back To School”, written by Aileen Mui and Vivian Wong - just click on the book below provided in English and Spanish and share with family, friends and associates who have children going back to school.
State and Federal Response Websites:
CDC
Georgia Department of Public Health
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- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
Take Advantage of the Opportunity to Keep Them Safe
North Georgia – Vaccinate your preteen today to protect them and their healthy future.
In an effort to keep every adult and child safe, all six counties in the North Georgia Health District are joining the Georgia Department of Public Health in recognizing March 9-13, 2020 as Georgia Preteen Vaccine Awareness Week. This week serves as a reminder for parents to talk with their preteens and teens about getting immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases.
Vaccines for preteens are available at the public health departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield counties.
“Every parent wants to protect their child and see them live a healthy life, yet many times parents don’t see vaccination as an urgent need,” said Sheila Lovett, Immunization Program director for the Georgia Department of Public Health. “Vaccinating your child is the single best way to protect them from preventable diseases, so we urge parents to prioritize vaccinations.”
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health Rule (511-2-2), all students born on or after January 1, 2002, entering or transferring into seventh grade and any “new entrant” into eighth - 12th grades in Georgia need proof of receiving one dose of adolescent pertussis (whooping cough) booster vaccination (called “Tdap”) AND one dose of adolescent meningococcal conjugate vaccination (MenACWY). Effective July 1, 2020, children sixteen years of age and older who are attending eleventh grade must receive a booster dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine, unless their initial dose was administered on or after their sixteenth birthday. This law affects all public and private schools including, but not limited to, charter schools, community schools, juvenile court schools and other alternative school settings (excluding homeschool).
Vaccines are the best defense we have against serious, preventable and sometimes deadly contagious diseases. They help avoid expensive therapies and hospitalization needed to treat infectious diseases like influenza and meningitis. Immunizations also reduce absences both at school and after school activities and decrease the spread of illness at home, school and the community.
CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices currently routinely recommends the following vaccines for preteens and teens:
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- Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis (Tdap)
- Influenza (flu)
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
- Meningococcal Disease (MenACWY)
Georgia Preteen Vaccine Awareness Week is an opportunity to raise awareness through schools, health care providers and the media regarding preteen immunizations, particularly Georgia’s pertussis and meningococcal requirements for incoming seventh-grade students. Speak with your physician today to find out if your preteen is up-to-date.
For more information, click here.
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- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
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- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
North Georgia – Along with COVID-19, Hepatitis A is also a serious illness caused by a virus and it continues to spread in this area. The good news is there is a vaccine for hepatitis A and it is free at health departments in the North Georgia Health District, especially for people who are at high risk for hepatitis A infection.
Drug users are among those at high risk for hepatitis A infection, and family members and friends who do not use drugs but are in close contact to drug users need a vaccination, as well.
Health departments in the North Georgia Health District that offer free hepatitis A vaccine are in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield counties. To contact these health departments, click directly on the name of your county above or on the LOCATIONS tab.
The North Georgia Health District started to see an increase in hepatitis A cases in October 2018 so began taking proactive steps to protect those at high risk and prevent the spread of the disease. A vaccination campaign was launched among all groups at greatest risk for becoming infected with hepatitis A, which, along with drug users and their close contacts, include persons incarcerated in jails, homeless persons and men who have sex with men. Food service workers are also urged to get vaccinated.
Currently, the North Georgia Health District has identified 71 cases of hepatitis A, however, no deaths. Most cases in the district continue to be among the homeless and illicit drug use populations.
Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. It can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months. Hepatitis A virus is a vaccine preventable disease. Even one dose of the vaccine can prevent the spread of the disease and an outbreak.
Besides a vigorous vaccination campaign, the North Georgia Health District is taking other proactive steps to prevent the spread of hepatitis A, such as:
- Sending information to local healthcare providers on steps they should take to vaccinate individuals at high risk, closely monitor their patient population and report any confirmed or suspected hepatitis A infections to public health.
- Reminding the public we can all protect ourselves from hepatitis A virus by:
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- Getting vaccinated through a health care provider.
- Washing hands with soap and water before eating, drinking or handling food.
- Buying food or drinks from food trucks or carts with permits from the health department.
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For more information about hepatitis A and how to prevent the spread of the hepatitis A virus, click here on our website to Hepatitis A: What North Georgians Should Know.
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