The holidays always bring a flurry of activity including gatherings filled with holiday treats that most of us find hard to resist. As we move in to 2019, we often resolve to live healthier lifestyles. The World Health Organization has Five Tips for a Healthy Diet This New Year that will get you on your way in the food department. But don’t forget about regular exercise. The American Heart Association has some great tips for Long-term Exercise Success.
Don’t put it off any longer. Make a commitment to living a healthier lifestyle this new year!
The Coastal Health District HIV Prevention Program will hold free HIV testing events from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 27, for National HIV Testing Day. No appointment is necessary and all testing is confidential. Results will be available in one minute. A follow-up visit will be scheduled for anyone who tests positive and counseling will be made available to those individuals.
Testing Locations:
Walgreens, 2109 E. Victory Drive, Savannah
Walgreens, 11509 Abercorn St., Savannah
Walgreens, 4210 Augusta Rd., Garden City
Walgreens, 4575 Altama Ave., Brunswick
HIV testing is recommended as part of routine health care, yet many Americans are not being tested as often as advised. Whether living with HIV or not, there are more options than ever to stay healthy. The first step is knowing your status and getting tested for HIV.
National HIV Testing Day is an opportunity to normalize HIV testing and encourage people to make it part of routine health care. In addition to free HIV testing on June 27, there will be staff available to discuss HIV prevention options such as PrEP, the daily pill to prevent HIV, and treatment as prevention. Gift cards and door prizes will also be given out at the testing events.
Our testing events are part of a nationwide activation in 245 cities with Walgreens, Greater Than AIDS, health departments, and local organizations to normalize HIV testing and encourage people to make it part of routine health care.
The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates around 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV, and one in eight people don’t know they have it. National HIV Testing Week is an opportunity to raise awareness, encourage people to get the facts, tested, get involved, and get linked to care and treatment services.
As a reminder, HIV testing is free at all health departments in Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, and McIntosh counties and available Monday through Friday during regular health department hours of operation.
Anyone with questions about testing can call Diane DeVore at (912) 644-5828 or e-mail Diane.Devore@dph.ga.gov.
Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer! Below are some tips on staying safe while having fun.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes and summer go hand in hand in Georgia. Avoiding mosquito bites protects you and your family from mosquito-borne illness and helps prevent the spread of mosquito-borne illness in Georgia.
Use EPA-registered insect repellents containing DEET (20-30%) or Picaridin, IR3535 or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus. Follow all label instructions for safe and effective use. If you’re using sunscreen, apply it first, followed by insect repellent.
Wear light-colored clothing, including loose-fitting long-sleeves, pants and socks to help protect against mosquito bites.
Tip ‘n Toss standing water after every rainfall or at least once a week to eliminate breeding locations for mosquitoes and prevent the spread of illness.
Foodborne Illnesses
Foodborne illnesses tend to increase during the summer months for two reasons. One reason is that bacteria tend to multiply faster when it’s warm. Another reason is that people are cooking outside more, away from the refrigerators, thermometers and washing facilities of a kitchen.
Clean surfaces, hands and utensils with warm water and soap.
Wash produce under running water before cutting, eating or cooking.
Separate raw and cooked meat and poultry from ready-to-eat foods (raw vegetables and fruits).
Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meat and ready-to-eat items like vegetables or bread.
Cook food to the proper temperature – use a food thermometer to check.
Beef, pork, lamb and veal (steaks, roasts,chops): 145 °F with a three-minute rest time
Ground meats: 160 °F
Whole poultry, poultry breasts and ground poultry: 165 °F
Chill. Perishable food should not sit out for more than two hours. In hot weather (above 90 °F), food should NEVER sit out for more than one hour.
Swim Safely
We all share the water we swim in, and each of us needs to do our part to help keep ourselves, our families and our friends healthy.
Don’t swim or let children swim if sick with diarrhea.
Getting COVID-19 or the flu means putting your life on pause. Being sick can lead to time off work and school and keep you away from family, friends, and doing things you enjoy. In some cases, COVID or the flu can cause more serious illness. This is especially true for people at high risk of complications, including older adults and those with underlying medical conditions or weakened immune systems.
To date, hundreds of millions of people have safely received a COVID-19 vaccine under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history. Adults and children across the country and the globe also get vaccinated against flu every year.
Getting vaccinated isn’t a guarantee that you won’t get COVID or flu, but it helps lessen the severity of symptoms and length of illness if you do get sick.
Upcoming Events
Our team will be at these upcoming events in Liberty, Long, and McIntosh counties with important information on COVID-19 and flu. Stop by, say hello, and sign the “I won’t let COVID-19 or flu pause my life” pledge card and get a $10 Dollar General gift card!
McIntosh County Health Department 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Thursday, April 18th
*2nd Chance Resource Fair S. Commerce Street, Hinesville 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Saturday, April 20th *Vaccination event
*Dollar General 3154 Airport Road, Walthourville 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Tuesday, April 30th *Vaccination event
*Senior Health and Resource Fair 59 Recreation Park Road, Ludowici 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Saturday, April 27th *Vaccination event
*Women’s Health Fair 5649 South Coastal Hwy., Riceboro 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Saturday, April 27th *Vaccination event
What We Know about COVID and Flu Vaccines
The virus that causes COVID-19 is always changing, and protection from COVID-19 vaccines declines over time. Getting an updated COVID-19 vaccine can restore protection and provide enhanced protection against the variants currently responsible for most infections and hospitalizations in the United States.
Not only does vaccination remain the best protection against COVID-19-related hospitalization and death, but it also reduces your chance of suffering the effects of Long COVID which can develop during or following acute infection and cause ongoing health problems that can last weeks, months, or even years.
COVID-19 and the flu are equal opportunity illnesses that can put your life on hold. Getting vaccinated can significantly reduce your chances of getting severely ill from these viruses. That’s our goal in public health: To keep our communities healthy.
Dr. Bonzo Reddick, Health Director Coastal Health District
Last season, those who received a 2022-2023 COVID-19 vaccine saw greater protection against illness and hospitalization than those who did not receive a 2022-2023 vaccine. If you have not received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past 2 months, you can get an updated COVID-19 vaccine.
Influenza can also lead to mild, moderate, or severe illness which is why getting vaccinated is so important. The flu vaccine causes antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after getting vaccinated. Those antibodies help protect against infection. While it’s possible that you might still get the flu after getting vaccinated, the vaccine is very effective in protecting against severe illness.
It is not possible to get the flu from the flu vaccine. The vaccines either contain inactivated virus, meaning the viruses are no longer infectious, or a particle designed to look like a flu virus to your immune system. While the nasal spray flu vaccine does contain a live virus, the viruses are changed so that they cannot give you the flu.
Where Can You Get Vaccinated?
Health departments in the Coastal Health District and throughout the state of Georgia have COVID-19 and flu vaccines available. Other facilities that offer the vaccines include Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers, private physician offices, pharmacies, and urgent care clinics.
Coastal Health District health departments also partner with Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE) to hold vaccination clinics in various locations around our counties to make it as convenient as possible for residents to get vaccinated.
COVID vaccination is covered by many insurance plans at no cost to the patient. For individuals without health insurance coverage, a federal program will cover the cost of vaccination.
For people with health insurance, most plans will cover COVID-19 vaccine at no cost to you. People who don’t have health insurance or who have health plans that do not cover the cost can get a free vaccine from agencies participating in the CDC’s Bridge Access Program. Flu vaccination is also covered by most all insurance plans. If you don’t have insurance, we don’t charge for the cost of the flu vaccine but may ask for a nominal administration fee.
Children eligible for the Vaccines for Children program also may receive the vaccines from a provider enrolled in that program.
What Kind of Information do I have to Provide?
If you come to a health department or to a health department-sponsored event to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and/or the flu and we don’t already have you in our system from previous vaccinations or visits, we only ask for basic information such as name, address, and phone number and only so we can keep a record of vaccines.
We do not ask for information for any other reason and do not share any personal information. All information collected by the health department is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA is a law that protects all individually identifiable health information* held or transmitted by a covered entity (health insurance plans, healthcare clearing houses that electronically submit medical claims data, and healthcare providers like doctors, clinics – including health departments – pharmacies, dentists, etc.).
“Individually identifiable health information” includes many common identifiers such as name, address, and birth date.
Women’s Health Services are provided directly by your local health department. Services are offered in every clinic, and your confidentiality is protected. We value all of our patients and strive to provide the highest quality Women’s Health Services in an atmosphere of caring and respect and are proud to offer patient centered services that provide our patients with tools and information needed to manage or prevent pregnancies as well as establish effective personal health goals.
Our health care professionals are dedicated to providing superior health care and family planning services. They work according to national health care delivery standards and offer the most up-to-date medical information to help you make informed decisions about your personal health and well being.
Health departments throughout the Coastal Health District offer a broad spectrum of Women’s Health Services including:
Health assessment including history and examination, for males and females
Evaluation and management of contraceptive-related problems of specimens for specific laboratory tests, such as Pap smears, urinalysis, hemoglobin, etc.
Women’s Health Services Fee Information We believe everyone should have access to family planning services that meet both their lifestyle and budgetary needs which is why we offer low-cost, high-quality services. It is our goal to provide family planning services at the lowest cost possible which is why patients over the age of 18 must provide verification of income so that we can determine fair and affordable fees for services provided. Without verification of income, patients may be asked to pay the full amount for services they receive. Patients seeking Women’s Health Services in Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, and McIntosh counties should be prepared to present a photo ID and proof of income* and will be expected pay some fees for services. *(Proof of income will not be required for clients 18 and under).
If you have specific questions about Women’s Health Services, please contact your county health department.
Accepted proof of income includes:
W-2 form
Current tax return
Current paychecks and/or pay check stubs for 1 month
Unemployment / Department of Labor compensation notice or check stub
Notarized statement of income from employer on letterhead
WIC or SNAP approval letter including family size and income
Accepted Photo ID includes:
State issued driver’s license
Government issued ID
Student ID
There will be payment options for family planning services and accepted forms of payment include:
Cash
Debit/credit card (Visa, Master Card, Discover)
Medicaid
Peachcare for Kids
Amerigroup, Peachstate, Wellcare
Comprehensive and thorough care While you may visit our health departments for family planning services, our staff members will provide additional counseling or referrals to ensure you receive appropriate support and services for all of your health care needs.
This year, Men’s Health Network (MHN) has decided to focus on the theme of a new decade. With a new decade comes the opportunity to both look back and look forward. This time for both reflection and prospection gives us all a unique occasion to evaluate how we have been dealing with our health, both physical and mental. Men, especially, should take this time to do just that.
In general, men are less likely to take care of themselves and their health than women. Men are half as likely to visit the doctor for a check-up as women are, and there are over 7 million American men who have not seen a doctor in over 10 years. In addition, a Cleveland Clinic survey in 2019 found that 82% of men report trying to stay healthy and live longer for those who rely on them, yet only 50% engage in preventive care. Men cited embarrassment, lack of convenience, not wanting to hear a bad diagnosis, and being told as children not to complain about medical problems as reasons for pushing off a visit to their health care provider. Partly as a result of dedicating less time to their personal health, male life expectancy is about 5 years less than women. Now, in 2020 and the new decade, it is time for that to change.
Men of every age need to be taking the time to focus on their mental and physical well-being. From 19 to 90, even if he is in “perfect” shape, a man should still be making routine appointments with his providers. There are several times in his life a man should be getting routine appointments with his healthcare provider to ensure that he is maintaining good health. Men are not invincible and should be engaging with their providers on a regular basis. Regular check-ups and appointments mean taking responsibility for your health and well-being and being a real man.
To coincide with the new decade and renewed responsibility for health, especially in the time of Coronavirus, here’s a breakdown of each decade of a man’s life, and when he should be getting certain check-ups with his healthcare provider: 20s:
Every year – a physical exam, blood pressure analysis, blood test & urine analysis, rectal exam, STD testing, self-performed testicular exam
Every 5 years – TB skin test
Every 10 years – Tetanus booster
30s:
Every year – a physical exam, blood pressure analysis, blood test & urine analysis, rectal exam, STD testing, self-performed testicular exam, electrocardiogram (EKG) for heart abnormalities
Every 5 years – TB skin test
Every 10 years – Tetanus booster
40s:
Every year – a physical exam, blood pressure analysis, blood test & urine analysis, rectal exam, STD testing, self-performed testicular exam, electrocardiogram (EKG) for heart abnormalities, prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening, hemoccult test
Every 5 years – TB skin test
Every 10 years – Tetanus booster
With physician’s discretion – chest x-ray, testosterone screening
50s:
Every year – a physical exam, blood pressure analysis, blood test & urine analysis, rectal exam, STD testing, self-performed testicular exam, electrocardiogram (EKG) for heart abnormalities, prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening, hemoccult test
Every 5 years – TB skin test
Every 10 years – Tetanus booster
With physician’s discretion – chest x-ray, testosterone screening, bone density screening
Atlanta
– As
Governor Brian Kemp and DPH Commissioner Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D.,
M.P.H., finalize the details of the Executive Order requiring Georgians to
shelter in place, it is important to emphasize why these measures are needed
now to keep all Georgians healthy and safe and to stop the spread of COVID-19.
For
weeks it has been known that people who were positive for COVID-19 but did not
have symptoms likely were able to transmit the virus. However, on March 30,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield,
M.D., confirmed that new data indicates that as many as 25% of
individuals infected with COVID-19 remain asymptomatic. Additionally, science
also now informs us that individuals who are symptomatic, are infectiousup to 48 hours before symptoms appear. This new information tells the
health care community, medical researchers, public health and governments why
COVID-19 is spreading so rapidly.
“Until
now, containing the spread of COVID-19 has been based on early detection and
isolation of people with symptoms of the virus,” said Toomey. “Social
distancing and keeping people apart from each other are now more than just
recommendations; they are the best weapons we have to stop the spread of
COVID-19.”
In
addition to social distancing, all Georgians are reminded to wash their hands
frequently and thoroughly with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand
sanitizer (60% alcohol) when soap and water aren’t available. Avoid touching
your face, nose, mouth and eyes with unwashed hands. Cover your coughs and
sneezes with a tissue, and throw the used tissue in the trash.
For
updates on the COVID-19 situation as it develops, follow @GaDPH, @GeorgiaEMA,
and @GovKemp on Twitter and @GaDPH, @GEMA.OHS, and @GovKemp on Facebook.
To report an increase in overdoses, a potential overdose cluster, or any other unusual drug-related event, call the Georgia Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222.
The safety of our law enforcement and first responders is important to the Coastal Health District. These partners are encouraged to remain vigilant in the field and utilize appropriate surveillance and personal protective equipment (PPE) when responding to drug-related incidents. The Georgia Department of Public Health has compiled a list of recommendations and guidelines for professionals to support healthy communities and limit drug exposure.
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month, and the Coastal Health District wants you to know that there’s a lot you can do to prevent cervical cancer. Each year, more than 11,000 women in the United States get cervical cancer.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common infection that spreads through sexual activity, and it causes almost all cases of cervical cancer. About 79 million Americans currently have HPV, but many people with HPV don’t know they are infected.
The good news?
The HPV vaccine (shot) can prevent HPV.
Cervical cancer can often be prevented with regular screening tests and follow-up care.
In honor of National Cervical Health Awareness Month, health departments in Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, and McIntosh counties encourage:
Women to start getting regular cervical cancer screenings at age 21
Parents to make sure pre-teens get the HPV vaccine at age 11 or 12
HPV Vaccine
Teens and young adults also need to get the HPV vaccine if they didn’t get it as pre-teens. The HPV vaccine is recommended for everyone through age 26. There are additional recommendations for those over the age of 26.
The Georgia Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (BCCP) provides access to breast and cervical cancer screening for women who have no insurance (or very limited insurance) and meet certain annual income guidelines. The program provides breast examinations and mammogram referrals to uninsured, low income women between the ages of 40-64 and pap smear testing and pelvic examinations to screen for cervical cancer in women 21-64 years of age.
The Glynn County Health Department has lifted the advisory for East Beach at the Old Coast Guard Station, which is from 10th Street to Driftwood Drive on St. Simons Island.
The advisory was issued on September 24, 2019 after routine water quality tests showed a high level of enterococci bacteria which increase the risk of gastrointestinal illness in swimmers.
Subsequent water samples showed the bacteria levels had dropped below Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended limits. Therefore, the advisory has been lifted.
September 24, 2019
The Glynn County Health Department has issued a swimming advisory for East Beach at the Old Coast Guard Station, which is from 10th Street to Driftwood Drive on St. Simons Island.
This advisory is based on results from routine, weekly water sample tests for bacteria found in humans and some wildlife, and this testing program is not related to the capsized cargo carrier in St. Simons Sound.
The Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources Division tests water on St. Simons and Jekyll Islands every week of the year, screening for enterococcus (pronounced: en·ter·o·coc·cus) bacteria. When a beach is under advisory, it means the level of bacteria found in the water is above the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recommended standards. This does NOT mean the beach is closed.
Periodic advisories are not unusual, particularly during warmer months when bacteria thrive. It is difficult to determine exactly where the bacteria come from, but some sources could include animal waste, storm water runoff, or boating waste.
This beach water advisory is to alert the public of a possible risk of illness associated with water contact in the advisory area. The Health Department recommends you do not swim or wade in the water in the area under advisory. No other beach areas are affected. Fish and other seafood caught from this area should be thoroughly washed with fresh water and thoroughly cooked before eating, as should fish or seafood caught from any waters.
The area will be re-tested this week, and the advisory will be lifted when the bacteria levels meet the EPA’s recommended standards. For more information, visit our beach water testing page.
Xylazine is a tranquilizer that is increasingly found in the US illegal drug supply and linked to overdose deaths. Xylazine is especially dangerous when combined with opioids.
Fentanyl mixed with xylazine has been declared an emerging threat by the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy.
The holidays always bring a flurry of activity including gatherings filled with holiday treats that most of us find hard to resist. As we move in to 2019, we often resolve to live healthier lifestyles. The World Health Organization has Five Tips for a Healthy Diet This New Year that will get you on your way in the food department. But don’t forget about regular exercise. The American Heart Association has some great tips for Long-term Exercise Success.
Don’t put it off any longer. Make a commitment to living a healthier lifestyle this new year!
Mosquitoes and summer go hand in hand in Georgia. Avoiding mosquito bites protects you and your family from mosquito-borne illness and helps prevent the spread of mosquito-borne illness in Georgia.
Clean surfaces, hands and utensils with warm water and soap.
Don’t swim or let children swim if sick with diarrhea.
Reapply sunscreen if you stay out in the sun for more than two hours and after swimming, sweating or toweling off.
