Georgia Coastal Health District

Say YES to protecting your daughter against cervical cancer by making sure she gets the HPV vaccine. This is a safe and effective vaccine given in a series of 3 shots over about a six month period. If your daughter is age 11 years or older, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) recommends you vaccinate now to protect her against cervical cancer. Already, 35 million doses of HPV vaccine have been distributed across the country–but that is not enough.

About 20 million people, most in their late teens and early 20s, are infected with HPV, the type of virus that causes cervical cancer. That’s why it’s important to protect preteen and teen girls early through vaccination.
“We have an entire generation of girls we could protect against cervical cancer,” says Dr. Anne Schuchat, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “What most parents might not realize is that while cervical cancer might not be a household name, every year 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and 4,000 die. If we can protect girls now, we could drastically reduce these numbers.”
You can use any visit, like an appointment for a camp or sports physicals, to ask your doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or clinic about the shots your kids need. When you go in for your daughter’s first shot of HPV vaccine, don’t leave without making an appointment for the next shot. Ask the doctor’s office or pharmacy to send you a text, email, or phone reminder. Involve your daughters in a reminder system–they probably know how to set up an electronic reminder better than you do!
Many parents don’t realize that vaccines don’t end once your child starts school–preteens and teens still need vaccines. As they get older, girls and boys are at increased risk for some infections. Also, the protection provided by some childhood vaccines begins to wear off.
There are three vaccines recommended for preteens starting at age 11-12, including Tdap (the tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis vaccine), HPV vaccine, and meningococcal vaccine. Preteens and teens should also get a flu vaccine, which is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older, every year. If you have an older kid like a teen, it’s not too late to get shots they’ve missed. HPV vaccine requires more than one dose. That’s where some parents get bogged down–it’s easy to get very busy with school, activities, work, and all of the juggling that parents of preteens and teens do every day.
There is assistance for families that may need help paying for vaccines. If you don’t have insurance, or if it does not cover vaccines, the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program may be able to help. This program provides vaccines at no cost to doctors who serve eligible children. Children younger than 19 years of age are eligible for VFC vaccines if they are Medicaid-eligible, American Indian or Alaska Native, or have no health insurance.
Like millions of moms and dads across the country, you can protect your daughters from cervical cancer.
For more information, visit the CDC web site just for you: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/teens

Every 10 minutes, someone in this country dies from colorectal cancer, a cancer that can be prevented. The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) wants all Georgians to know that colorectal cancer screening can mean the difference between life and death. Colon cancer is highly treatable if detected early, yet one in three Georgians between the ages of 50 and 75 is not being screened. Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers and most common causes of death from cancer in Georgia.

People should start getting screened for colorectal cancer at age 50, but anyone with a family history or other high risk factors may need to be tested earlier. Men and women are both at risk for colorectal cancer, but African American and Asian men in Georgia are at a higher risk.
“Screening for colorectal cancer may keep you, or a loved one, from dying from a cancer that is preventable,” said Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., commissioner, Georgia Department of Public Health. “What’s the best test for colon cancer? It’s the one you are willing to have done.”
There are several screening tests for colorectal cancer. A colonoscopy can detect cancer early and it can find precancerous polyps so they can be removed before they turn into cancer. From the time the first abnormal cells start to grow into polyps, it usually takes about 10 to 15 years for them to develop into cancer. If the thought of a colonoscopy is frightening, an FOBT/FIT is a simple at-home test that can detect cancer early by identifying blood in the stool, a possible sign of cancer. Patients should speak to their health care provider about the best colorectal cancer test for them, but studies show that people who are able to choose the test they prefer are more likely to get the test done.
Everyone over the age of 50 should be screened for colorectal cancer – it is the best protection against colon cancer. You can also lower your risk of developing colorectal cancer by managing the risk factors that you can control, like diet and physical activity.
The best advice is:
• Increase the intensity and amount of physical activity
• Limit intake of red and processed meats
• Get the recommended levels of calcium and vitamin D
• Eat more vegetables and fruits
• Avoid obesity and weight gain around the mid-section
• Avoid excess alcohol
For more information about colorectal cancer and screening, talk to your doctor or health care provider or log on to dph.georgia.gov/learn-more-about-colorectal-cancer.

It’s the number one killer of men and women in the United States. It costs billions of dollars each year in terms of healthcare. In a lot of cases, it is totally preventable. So what is it and are you at risk?
“It” is cardiovascular disease and includes heart disease stroke and high blood pressure.

Do you know someone who has had a heart attack or stroke? Your father, mother, husband, wife, friend, or colleague? You’re not alone. Heart disease and stroke are the first and fourth leading causes of death in the United States, which means heart disease causes 1 of every 3 deaths in the country. Americans suffer more than 2 million heart attacks and strokes each year, and everyday 2,200 people die from cardiovascular disease. And heart disease and stroke are among the leading causes of disability in our country–keeping more than 3 million people from enjoying the quality of life they’d like. Million Hearts™, which launched in September 2011, was created to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years. This public-private national initiative is bringing together a wide range of heart disease and stroke prevention programs, policies, and activities to raise awareness about what can be done to prevent heart disease and stroke in our nation.
We are all at risk. People of all ages, genders, races, and ethnicities can have a heart attack or stroke. However, certain groups–African Americans, people between the ages of 40 and 60, and women–are at higher risk. But many of the people who are at high risk for heart attack or stroke don’t know it. Each of us can take steps to achieve the goal of preventing 1 million heart attacks and strokes in the next five years.
To find out if you’re at increased risk, check out the Million Hearts website and tools.
Be one in a Million Hearts™ by taking the pledge to:
• Prevent heart disease and stroke in your family by understanding the risks
• Get up and get active by exercising for 30 minutes on most days of the week
• Know your ABCS: Appropriate Aspirin Therapy, Blood Pressure Control, Cholesterol Management, and Smoking Cessation
• Stay strong by eating a heart-healthy diet that is high in fresh fruits and vegetables and low in sodium, saturated and trans fats, and cholesterol
• Take control of your heart health by following your doctor’s instructions for medications and treatment
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are the co-leaders of Million Hearts™ within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They work alongside other federal agencies including the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Food and Drug Administration.
Will you be one in a Million Hearts™? Visit http://millionhearts.hhs.gov to take the pledge to save a heart today. A Million Hearts™ begins with you!