Air Quality Monitoring Resources and Health Information
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The Coastal Health District of Georgia serves the counties of Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long & McIntosh
Monday, Jan. 16, our offices and health departments will be closed in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
However, our 2 COVID testing drive-through sites in Chatham and Liberty will be open Monday. We have one site in West Chatham County at 210 Technology Circle and one in Hinesville at James Brown Park. Both sites offer free PCR testing, no appointment required. Get more information about testing.
We’ll be back to normal operations on Tuesday.
Beginning Monday, Dec. 19, young children will have access to stronger protection against COVID-19 in the Coastal Health District. The FDA and CDC have approved the reformulated Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for ages 6 months and older. Previously, the updated vaccines were only available for ages 5 and up.
Appointments for the bivalent vaccines are available in all 8 counties of the Coastal Health District and can be scheduled online at chdcovidvax.org or by calling your local health department directly.
The reformulated vaccines are called “bivalent” because they target more than one variant of COVID. The vaccines target the original strain of the COVID-19 virus plus two omicron subvariants, which means better protection against more recent versions of the virus.
The bivalent vaccine manufactured by Pfizer is authorized as a booster dose for individuals aged 5 and older, and as a third dose for individuals aged 6 months – 4 years. The bivalent vaccine by Moderna is authorized as a booster dose for individuals 6 months of age and older.
For more information about the COVID vaccines offered by the health department in your county, visit chdcovidvax.org. Parents with questions about COVID vaccines for children are encouraged to talk to their child’s pediatrician or to their local health department.
Monday, November 28, the Savannah-area community will have an opportunity to tour an Opioid Abuse Prevention Trailer and learn to spot the hidden warning signs of opioid abuse.
The event is part of the Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative (RALI), an alliance of local, state, and national organizations working to end the substance misuse crisis. The Opioid Abuse Prevention Trailer is outfitted to look like a teenager’s or young adult’s bedroom, but it is filled with hidden warning signs of substance misuse. Former law enforcement and experts point out the red flags of substance misuse based on their years of experience and discuss ways to seek help if someone is struggling with addiction.
If you suspect someone you know has started misusing opioids, early intervention is critically important. Learning the warning signs of opioid addiction can help protect your family, friends and community.
For more information, visit RALIusa.org.
Due to the potential for severe weather associated with Tropical Storm Nicole, the Camden, Glynn, and Liberty County Health Departments will suspend operations Thursday, November 10. At this time, all other county health departments and Coastal Health District offices plan to be open and operational Thursday.
All clinics and offices will be closed Friday, November 11, in observance of Veteran’s Day.
The Coastal Health District Chronic Disease Prevention Program will hold blood glucose screening events at health departments throughout the month of November, which is Diabetes Awareness Month. The screenings are free and no appointment is necessary. Those getting screened will also receive information about the Diabetes Prevention Program and upcoming “Eating Healthy over the Holidays” virtual sessions.
The following screening events have been scheduled:
Bryan County Health Department, 430 Ledford Street, Pembroke
Tuesday, November 8
8- 11 a.m.
Glynn County Health Department, 2747 Fourth Street, Brunswick
Wednesday, November 9
1 – 4 p.m.
Camden County Health Department, 905 Dilworth Street, St. Marys
Thursday, November 10
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
McIntosh County Health Department, 1335 Ga Hwy. 17, Townsend
Thursday, December 1
1 – 4 p.m.
Liberty County Health Department, 1113 E. Oglethorpe Hwy., Hinesville
Monday, November 14
1 – 4 p.m.
Bryan County Health Department, 66 Capt. Matthew Freeman Drive, Richmond Hill
Tuesday, November 15
8 – 11 a.m.
Effingham County Health Department, 802 Hwy. 119 South, Springfield
Thursday, November 17
1 – 4 p.m.
Long County Health Department, 584 N. Macon Street, Ludowici
Thursday, November 17
2 – 5 p.m.
Chatham County Health Department, 1395 Eisenhower Drive, Savannah
Tuesday, November22
1 – 4 p.m.
Diabetes affects more than 30 million people in the United States and more than one out of every three adults have prediabetes. People with prediabetes have blood glucose levels higher than normal and are more likely to get type 2 diabetes. Making modest lifestyle changes can help lower your risk of getting type 2 diabetes. The Coastal Health District Chronic Disease Prevention Program provides the tools our residents need to help combat diseases like diabetes that can lead to serious health complications.
More information about prediabetes and diabetes, please visit our website at coastalhealthdistrict.org/diabetes.
As the spooky season kicks into high gear this weekend, the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) recommends the following tips to help ensure everyone has a safe, fun time while making the rounds at fall festivals, trunk-or-treats, parties, and the traditional door-to-door hunt for goodies.
If you aren’t feeling well, skip the Halloween parties and activities. In addition to being the spooky season, it is flu season. DPH recommends everyone six months old and older get the flu vaccine as soon as possible. Additionally, DPH recommends everyone six months old and older be up to date with COVID vaccination and booster shots.
If you have not gotten a flu shot yet, do not wait any longer. Flu activity is already widespread in Georgia – earlier than we’ve seen in recent years.
“Every individual over the age of six months should get a flu vaccine – not just for their own protection, but to protect others around them who may be more vulnerable to the flu and its complications,” says Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H., DPH commissioner. “It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies that protect against flu to develop in the body, so now is the time to get a flu shot.”
Flu symptoms and their intensity can vary from person to person, and can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Some people are at higher risk of developing serious flu-related complications if they get sick. This includes people 65 years and older, people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease, pregnant women, and children younger than 5 years, but especially those younger than 2 years old.
Flu vaccine is widely available at public health departments, doctors’ offices, grocery stores, neighborhood clinics and pharmacies. To find a location near you click on https://www.vaccines.gov/find-vaccines/. Flu vaccine can be administered at the same time as COVID vaccine, so it’s a good time to get your updated booster, too.
In some cases, healthcare providers may recommend the use of antiviral drugs that fight the flu in your body. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines and are most effective when taken within 48 hours of symptoms appearing.
There are other tried and true measures you can take to help prevent the spread of flu:
For more information about flu and how to prevent it, log on to dph.ga.gov/flu. You can monitor Georgia weekly influenza reports at https://dph.georgia.gov/epidemiology/influenza/georgia-influenza-activity. The reports are updated on Fridays.
Rain and wind from Hurricane Ian are expected to impact portions of the Coastal Health District later in the week, beginning in the southernmost part of the district. As a result, the following adjustments have been made to operational schedules:
The Coastal Health District expects to resume normal operations on Monday, October 3rd.
The Effingham County Health Department will offer free breast exams and mammogram referrals by appointment from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, October 4, for women who meet certain eligibility guidelines. The event will take place at the health department located at 802 GA Hwy. 119 South in Springfield and is being held in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month which takes place every October.
It is estimated that about one in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in women in the United States. Early detection and treatment of breast cancer can lead to better outcomes.
“A clinical breast exam can help determine if there are any changes in the breasts that might be concerning,” said Coastal Health District Women’s Health and Adult Health Coordinator, Mary Ellen Smith, MSN, WHNP BC. “If we find something abnormal during the exam, we can then refer the patient for a mammogram.”
Women who meet certain annual income guidelines and are 40-64 years of age without insurance will be eligible to receive breast exams and mammogram referrals at no cost as part of the Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (BCCP). BCCP provides access to breast and cervical cancer screening for women who may not otherwise have the means to access such services.
For more information on BCCP, please visit our website at coastalhealthdistrict.org/bccp.
To schedule an appointment for a breast exam, please call the Effingham County Health Department at 912-754-6484.
Stronger protection against COVID-19 is available in the Coastal Health District as all 8 county health departments now offer updated booster shots. These reformulated booster vaccines target the original strain of the COVID-19 virus plus the omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5. Most new cases reported in Georgia are caused by the BA.5 variant, which means the redesigned booster shots will offer better protection against the currently circulating virus.
“It’s not uncommon for vaccines to be tweaked as viruses mutate,” said Dr. Lawton Davis, Health Director of the Coastal Health District. “You don’t get the same flu shot every fall because the vaccine is redesigned each year to be a better match to the dominant variants. These reformulated COVID boosters follow the same progression, with better protection against the COVID we have now, and not just the COVID of two years ago.”
The redesigned boosters are called “bivalent” because they target more than one variant of COVID. The bivalent booster by Pfizer is authorized for ages 12 and older, and the bivalent booster by Moderna is authorized for ages 18 and up. You can get the booster if it has been at least two months since you completed your initial vaccination, or since your last booster shot.
Only individuals who have completed their primary vaccination series (two doses of Pfizer or Moderna or one dose of Johnson & Johnson) are eligible to receive the bivalent booster. For people getting their first COVID vaccines, the original vaccine will continue to be used. Those who have recently received Novovax are not yet eligible for any booster at this time.
Appointments for COVID-19 vaccination, including bivalent boosters, can be scheduled online at chdcovidvax.org or by calling your local county health department.
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