Georgia Coastal Health District

Often when people hear the word “tuberculosis,” they think of a disease that caused harm decades ago. But tuberculosis, commonly referred to as TB, is still a very real problem in the United States and in Georgia where 335 new cases of TB were reported in 2014. In fact, Georgia ranked fifth highest in the country for newly reported TB cases in 2014. March 24 is World TB and this year’s theme is “Unite to End TB.”

TB is a disease that usually affects the lungs but can attack any part of the body. TB is caused by germs that are spread from person to person through the air when a person with active TB coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. Although a relatively small number of people exposed to the disease actually contract the infection, active TB disease can be life threatening if left untreated.

TB is preventable and curable. Yet, too many people in the United States still suffer from this disease. TB elimination would have widespread health, economic, and social benefits for our country. Anyone can get TB. People with TB disease can be found in every state; in rural areas and cities; in schools, workplaces, homes; and in many other places where people are in close contact.

People with active TB disease may spread the TB germs to other persons who are usually individuals with whom they have been with in an enclosed space for a prolonged period of time, such as family members and co-workers. Symptoms of TB include a bad cough that lasts three weeks or longer, pain in the chest, coughing up blood or sputum, weakness or fatigue, weight loss, no appetite, chills, fever, and sweating at night.

Up to 13 million people in the U.S. are estimated to have latent tuberculosis (TB) infection. Latent TB infection is a condition in which a person is infected with the TB bacteria, but does not currently have active TB disease and cannot spread TB to others. However, if these bacteria become active and multiply, latent TB infection can turn into TB disease. Without treatment, on average 5-10% of people with latent TB infection will develop TB disease. For some people, that risk is much higher.

Anyone who thinks he has been exposed to TB should contact a healthcare provider or local health department to get tested. For more information on TB, go to cdc.gov/tb.

Let’s face it – nobody likes getting shots – but a shot lasts a second; diseases last much longer.

In an effort to protect every adult and child, the Georgia Department of Public Health established Georgia Preteen Vaccine Awareness Week, observed March 13-17, 2017, to serve as a reminder for parents to talk with their preteens and teens about getting immunized against vaccine- preventable diseases. [JPG, 676.91 KB]

“Preteens are at an age where they are becoming more independent and social. They spend more time out with friends playing sports, going to sleepaway camps and attending parties. While this is a fun part of growing up, these activities could increase their risk for contracting potentially life- threatening diseases,” said Sheila Lovett, director for the Georgia Department of Public Health Immunization Program. “Parents, make it a priority to vaccinate your preteen against these preventable diseases.”

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health Rule (511-2-2), all students born on or after January 1, 2002, entering or transferring into seventh grade and any “new entrant” into eighth -12th grades in Georgia need proof of an adolescent pertussis (whooping cough) booster vaccination (called “Tdap”) AND an adolescent meningococcal vaccination (MenACWY). This law affects all public and private schools including, but not limited to, charter schools, community schools, juvenile court schools and other alternative school settings (excluding homeschool).

Vaccines are the best defense we have against serious, preventable and sometimes deadly contagious diseases. They help avoid expensive therapies and hospitalization needed to treat infectious diseases like influenza and meningitis. Immunizations also reduce absences both at school and after school activities and decrease the spread of illness at home, school and the community.

The CDC currently recommends the following vaccines for preteens and teens:

• Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis (Tdap)
• Influenza (flu)
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
• Meningococcal Disease (MenACWY)

[JPG, 615.32 KB]Georgia Preteen Vaccine Awareness Week is an opportunity to raise awareness through schools, health care providers and the [JPG, 2.15 MB]media regarding preteen immunizations, particularly Georgia’s pertussis and meningococcal requirements for incoming seventh-grade students. Speak with your physician today to find out if your preteen is up-to-date. For more information, click here.

Get the Facts!

Georgia Preteen Vaccine Awareness Week Fact Sheet [DOCX, 20.60 KB]

About 610,000 people in the United States die of heart disease every year and heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in our country. A lot of things can lead to heart disease including family history, lifestyle, and age. Could you be at risk for heart disease?

[JPG, 444.13 KB] Risk factors of heart disease

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, and smoking risk factors for heart disease.
Other conditions and lifestyle choices can also put people at a higher risk for heart disease, including:

• Diabetes
• Overweight and obesity
• Poor diet
• Physical inactivity
• Excessive alcohol use

Want to know more about heart disease? Click HERE.

The good news is that heart disease is often preventable. Exercising regularly, eating healthy, and not smoking are just a few things that can help keep heart disease away. What are some simple ways to improve heart health?

• Do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily. Don’t like to run? Put on your dancing shoes. Dancing is a legitimate form of exercise. Pick a few of your favorite songs, turn up the volume, and dance your way toward your 30-minute daily goal!
• When it comes to heart healthy eating, there is a lot to consider but you can never go wrong with eating fresh fruits and vegetables, especially when it comes to snacking. Just about everybody needs a little snack to get through the day and snacking doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, low-fat yogurt, raisins – there are a million great healthy snacking choices out there. You just have to find the one that suits you.
• Don’t smoke. There is nothing good about tobacco. It’s also not easy to quit but there is help. Using Georgia Tobacco Quit Line can help you improve your chance of quitting for good. The Quit Line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  English: 1-877-270-STOP (877-270-7867)
  Spanish: 1-855 DEJELO-YA
  Hearing Impaired: 1-877-777-6534

A high Body Mass Index or BMI (a ratio of weight to height) may put you at risk for heart disease. Check your BMI using this BMI Calculator.

Weather can change on a dime. One day the climate may be mild and calm and 24 hours later tornado warning sirens could be going off. Hurricane season is expected every year in that we know the dates – June 1 through November 30 –  but we never truly know how the season will play out. Hurricane Matthew showed us that knowing a hurricane is out there doesn’t necessarily mean we know where it’s going to make the biggest impact once it makes landfall. It is important for all of us to be as prepared as we can be when it comes to changing weather.

Do you know what you should have on hand in case of severe weather? A basic disaster supply kit should include:

• One gallon of water per person per day for at least three days
• At least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Change of clothes
• Prescription medications and glasses
• Infant formula and diapers
• Pet food and extra water for your pet
• Cash or traveler’s checks and change
• Manual can opener for food
• Chargers for cell phones
• Personal hygiene items

You can always add more to your kit which should be accessible all year round. It’s also a good idea to periodically check your kit to see if it needs to be updated or changed in any way.

Click HERE to find out more about preparing for severe weather.

Ready.gov is a great site with a lot of helpful information on how to prepare for weather and other potentially dangerous occurrences.

Don’t Wait: Communicate
Having emergency plans in place for severe weather or any other crisis just makes good sense. Ready.gov has everything you need to make sure that when a disaster strikes, families know what to do which includes having an up-to-date contact list for those you may need to reach during a disaster and establishing alternate methods of communication in case traditional means are not available.

Family Communication Plan for Parents: FEMA_plan_parent_508_071513 [PDF, 1.12 MB]
Family Communication Plan for Children: FEMA_plan_child_508_071513 [PDF, 1.16 MB]