North Georgia – Immunizations are the best protection against vaccine-preventable diseases for everyone, of all ages; and, at the 26th Annual Immunize Georgia Conference on September 23, 2019, the Georgia Department of Public Health honored the Whitfield County Health Department’s Children’s Access Clinic and the North Georgia Health District with 2019 Walt Orenstein Champions for Immunization Awards due to excellence in providing immunization care.
The district was recognized for conducting a vigorously proactive hepatitis A vaccination and education campaign and for overall vaccine education, and the Whitfield County Health Department’s Children’s Access Clinic was awarded for going above and beyond the norm to ensure that all recommended vaccines for children and adults are readily available to the community.
Ashley Deverell, RN, BSN, district Immunization Coordinator, said, “Both awards recognize the ongoing work involved in educating patients on the importance of vaccines and protecting our communities. Our health district’s impressive hepatitis A response could not have been achieved without the support of everyone in the district. We are especially grateful for nurses and clerks directly involved in outreach to jails, substance abuse facilities and homeless shelters.”
For more information about the 2019 Walt Orenstein Champions for Immunization Awards and award recipients, go to http://www.immunizegeorgia.com/.
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Related article from Golin for the Georgia Department of Public Health:
Dalton health departments Whitfield County Health Department-Children’s Access Clinic and North Georgia Health District 1-2 were both honored at the 26th Annual Immunize Georgia Conference, hosted by The Georgia Department of Public Health which provides healthcare providers the latest in immunization news and best practices, on Sept. 23, 2019 with Walt Orenstein Awards. This award honors public/private agencies or coalitions who demonstrate excellence in providing immunization care which exemplifies the immunization guidelines set forth in the Standards for Child, Adolescent and Adult Immunization Practices. Children’s Access Clinic not only plays a vital role in preserving the health of local children but also provides immunizations across all ages. They work to reduce barriers in immunizations and addresses community needs, attending many health fairs throughout the year to educate and improve awareness of adult vaccination recommendations. Many times, the staff of the Children’s Access Clinic work outside normal office hours to accommodate any time that is best for an outreach event.The North Georgia Health District developed a plan to address the rising hepatitis A cases and increase adult vaccinations after noticing a concerning increase in hepatitis A cases that coincided with a marked increase in the surrounding geographic area in October 2018. In efforts to reduce barriers to vaccination, they began a no cost hepatitis A vaccine campaign targeting high risk populations as well as any client desiring to be vaccinated against hepatitis A. From December 1, 2018 to July 1, 2019, a total of 4,257 adult hepatitis A containing vaccines were administered with over 1,400 of those vaccinations occurring off-site. By comparison, only 578 adult hepatitis A containing vaccines were administered in the same time span the previous year.