North Georgia Health District of the Georgia Department of Public Health urges North Georgians to get vaccinated this August during
National Immunization Awareness Month
North GA – The month of August is about bringing awareness to immunizations, and North Georgia Health District 1-2 of the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) wants Georgians to think ahead and get the vaccinations they need at each stage of life and situation.
"Vaccinations are our best defense against vaccine-preventable diseases," said Sheila Lovett, director for the Georgia Department of Public Health Immunization Program. "During National Immunization Awareness Month, we urge residents to get themselves and their families up to date on their vaccinations."
August serves as a reminder that people of all ages require timely vaccinations to protect their health.
Each week of National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) this year, the focus will be on a different stage of life:
o Babies and young children (August 12-18)
o Pregnant women (August 5-11)
o Adults (August 26-31)
o Preteens and Teens (August 19-25)
o Back to School (July/August)
Safe and effective vaccines are available at your county health department to protect adults and children alike against potentially life-threatening diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, shingles, measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox).
Every adult in Georgia (19 years of age and older) should follow the recommended immunization schedule by age and medical condition. Vaccinations protect our families and communities; especially infants and those individuals who are unable to be immunized or who have weakened immune systems. This link is to the recommended adult immunization schedule:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/adult/adult-schedule-easy-read.pdf
Vaccines protect families, teens and children by preventing disease. Not only do vaccinations help avoid expensive therapies and hospitalization needed to treat infectious diseases like influenza and pneumococcal disease, but they also reduce absences both at school and at work and decrease the spread of illness in the home, workplace and community. Adults should check with their health care provider for their current immunization recommendations as well as parents to check for their children.
For the 2017-2018 season, CDC recommends use of the flu shot (inactivated vaccine or IIV) and the recombinant influenza vaccine (RIV) for everyone 6 months and older. The nasal spray flu vaccine (live attenuated influenza vaccine or LAIV) should not be used during 2017-2018.
Students born on or after January 1, 2002 and entering the seventh-grade need proof of an adolescent pertussis (whooping cough) booster and adolescent meningococcal vaccinations. Every child in a Georgia school system (Kindergarten -12th grade), attending a child care facility, or a new student of any age entering a Georgia school for the first time is required by law to have a Georgia Immunization Certificate, Form 3231. Below are the immunizations required for child care and school attendance:
- Diphtheria - Mumps
- Tetanus - Rubella
- Pertussis - Hepatitis A and B
- Polio - Hib disease (up to age 5 years)
- Measles - Varicella
- PCV13 (up to age 5 years) - Meningococcal Conjugate
Some schools, colleges, and universities have policies requiring vaccination against meningococcal disease as a condition of enrollment. Students aged 21 years or younger should have documentation of receipt of a dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine not more than five years before enrollment. If the primary dose was administered before the 16th birthday, a booster dose should be administered before enrollment in college.
"The focus of vaccinations is often on young children, but it’s just as important for teens, college students and adults to stay current on their vaccinations," said Lovett.
This August, protect your family by getting vaccinated. Check with your local county health department in North Georgia about current vaccination recommendations for you and your children (click on your county's name in the above toolbar to find health department contact information and location).
Call or visit your public health department and get vaccinated today.
For more information on immunization, visit http://dph.georgia.gov/immunization-section.