Georgia Coastal Health District

This press release was issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on 1/6/23:

A CDC study published today provides further evidence that Tdap vaccination during pregnancy helps protect newborns from whooping cough during their first two months of life, when they are most vulnerable to the disease.  

Whooping cough, or pertussis, is highly contagious and can be especially serious for infants who aren’t old enough to be vaccinated. CDC scientists tracked reports of infant whooping cough cases between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2019. They found an association between reduced rates of whooping cough in newborns younger than two months old and Tdap vaccination during pregnancy. These findings further support CDC’s recommendation for Tdap vaccination during weeks 27–36 of each pregnancy. 

“Getting Tdap during pregnancy offers infants the best protection before they are old enough to receive their whooping cough vaccines,” said Dr. José Romero, Director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “This protection is critical because those first few months are when infants are most likely to have serious complications, be hospitalized or die if they get whooping cough.”  

The new study is the first time researchers have looked at U.S. population level trends in infant whooping cough cases since this maternal vaccination strategy began in 2011. Newborn whooping cough rates decreased significantly since the introduction of maternal Tdap vaccination. When given during the third trimester of pregnancy, Tdap vaccination prevents more than three in four cases of whooping cough in infants younger than two months old. 

“Everyone who is pregnant should feel confident in knowing that the Tdap vaccine is safe and effective,” said Dr. Linda Eckert, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ liaison to CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. “Knowing that Tdap vaccination during pregnancy protects nine in 10 babies from being hospitalized with whooping cough, I strongly recommend this vaccine to all my pregnant patients for their peace of mind and for their family’s health and well-being.”  

Women should get vaccinated during the third trimester of each pregnancy to boost their antibodies and pass those antibodies on to their infants. All people in close contact with infants should be up to date with their whooping cough vaccines. 

CDC and partners are working to increase Tdap vaccination during pregnancy, which dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit the CDC whooping cough website for more information. 

This February, the Coastal Health District wants to help you love your heart, and that starts with knowing your blood pressure and blood glucose numbers. The Coastal Health District will be offering free blood pressure and blood glucose screenings at the following locations, with no appointment needed.

• Bryan Co. Health Dept. in Pembroke: Feb. 7, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Bryan Co. Health Dept. in Richmond Hill: Feb. 7, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
• Camden Co. Health Dept. in St. Marys: Feb. 13, 1 – 4 pm.
• Chatham Co. Health Dept. Eisenhower Clinic in Savannah: Feb. 15, 2 – 5 p.m.
• Effingham Co. Health Dept. in Springfield: Feb. 16, 1 – 4 p.m.
• McIntosh Co. Health Dept. in Townsend: Feb. 20, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Liberty Co. Health Dept. in Hinesville: Feb. 21, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Long Co. Health Dept. in Ludowici: Feb. 21, 1 – 4 p.m.
• Glynn Co. Health Dept. in Brunswick: Feb. 22, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

“Most people can’t tell if their blood pressure or glucose levels are high,” says Mecca Mason, a community health worker for the Coastal Health District who is leading the heart healthy campaign. “The only way to know is to get screened. Thankfully, the screenings are quick and easy, and once you know your numbers, we can help you come up with a plan for protecting your heart.”

These numbers matter. High blood pressure can lead to serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke. A high blood glucose level can lead to heart disease.

These problems may be more common than you think. According to the Centers for Disease Control, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. One person dies every 34 seconds in the U.S. from cardiovascular disease.

But this is not an unwinnable fight. “There are small adjustments you can make in your daily life that will have a big impact on your heart health,” says Mason. “That’s where we come in. We have information, resources, and programs to help people in our community live longer, healthier lives.”

You can learn about these heart healthy programs at the screening events in February or on our Chronic Disease Prevention page.

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Public health in coastal Georgia has a new leader. Bonzo Reddick, MD, has been named health director of the 8-county Coastal Health District. Dr. Reddick steps into the public health leadership role following the retirement of Dr. Lawton Davis.

Dr. Reddick is no stranger to the community health needs of the coastal area. For the past 5 years, Dr. Reddick led an outpatient practice at the J.C. Lewis Primary Health Care Center in Savannah, a federally qualified health center and designated Healthcare for the Homeless site. Dr. Reddick served on the Health Equity Council for the Georgia Department of Public Health and was on the medical advisory committees for the Savannah public school system and for the Mayor’s Office during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Reddick received his B.S. degree from Morehouse College and his medical degree from Morehouse School of Medicine. After graduating from medical school in 2002, he left Georgia for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he completed a family medicine residency, two faculty development fellowships, and a master’s degree in public health (M.P.H.). After graduating from residency in 2005, he practiced full-spectrum family medicine – including delivering babies and inpatient medicine – for 17 years.

Dr. Reddick was named Top Family Physician in Savannah by South Magazine in 2016 & 2019, and he was recently named the Family Physician of the Year by the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians for 2021. He has published numerous articles in scientific and medical journals, and he recently finished authoring a book on achieving health equity.

Dr. Reddick will lead the Coastal Health District from offices in Savannah and Brunswick, overseeing all district and county public health programs in Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, and McIntosh Counties.