On August 23, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, and will now be marketed as Comirnaty (pronounced koe-mir’-na-tee) for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older.

The vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA), including for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals.

Read the FDA News Release at www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-covid-19-vaccine.

If you need your first or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, find a vaccine location near you and get vaccinated! The Health Department continues to offer COVID-19 vaccine free of charge. No appointment is necessary – just walk in.

On August 13, 2021, the CDC recommended that moderately or severely immunocompromised individuals receive a third dose of mRNA vaccine 28 days after the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Moderately or severely immunocompromised individuals are eligible. This includes people who have:

• Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
• Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response

Appointments are recommended; however, walk-in services are also available. Patients do not need to bring proof of meeting the criteria for the third dose. Individuals will need to sign an attestation form indicating they are moderately or severely immunocompromised.

If you are eligible, click here to find a vaccination site near you.

For an updated list or for more information on the decision to recommend a third dose of mRNA vaccine to moderately or severely immunocompromised individuals, please visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/immuno.html.

This recommendation only applies to mRNA vaccines, and does not include immunocompromised people who received the J&J/Janssen vaccine.

Booster shots for other individuals who received mRNA vaccine are expected to be available in late September.

Information contributed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

As a parent, you want to keep your children safe. Routine childhood vaccinations are an important way to ensure that your child and community remain healthy and protected against serious diseases, like measles and whooping cough.

As opportunities for in-person activities and play continue to grow, Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Departments encourage parents to make sure children are up to date on routinely recommended vaccines. Well-child visits and check-ups are essential for routine vaccination, even during the pandemic.

You can also review the 2021 easy-to-read immunization schedule recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you’re pregnant, now is a great time to find a doctor for your baby and schedule a visit to discuss any questions you have about vaccines.

For more information about vaccines and the diseases they prevent, visit these resources from the CDC:

• Well-Child Visits and Recommended Vaccinations
• The Ultimate Babyproofing Plan: 6 Reasons to Follow CDC’s Immunization Schedule
• CDC’s vaccine website for parents and Infant Immunization FAQs
• CDC’s series of three 1-minute videos
• The Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program, which provides free vaccines to children who qualify

If you have questions about vaccines, talk to your child’s health provider.

If you are waiting for the right time to get vaccinated, that time is now! The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is urging Georgians to get vaccinated as the number of new COVID-19 cases increases daily and the Delta variant spreads.

The COVID case rate in Georgia has increased 204% over the last 14-day period. Yesterday new cases totaled 4,612 – the highest daily number since mid-February.Hospitalizations have increased by about 50% in the last 14 days, and deaths have increased by about 18% in the same period. Vaccination has stalled statewide and only 40% of Georgians are fully vaccinated.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates the Delta variant accounts for  78% of new COVID cases in Georgia, making vaccination more urgent than ever. The Delta variant spreads more than twice as easily from one person to another, compared with earlier strains. The highest spread of cases and severe outcomes are happening in places with low vaccination rates, and virtually all hospitalizations and deaths continue to be among the unvaccinated.

“Unfortunately, we can expect COVID numbers to keep growing. People who are unvaccinated or skip their second dose of vaccine are targets for infection,” said Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H., commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health. “Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and the Delta variant. High vaccination coverage will reduce spread of the virus in your community and elsewhere – and help prevent new variants from emerging.”

All Georgians aged 12 and older are urged to get vaccinated against COVID-19. If you receive either Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, you must get your second dose to ensure you are fully protected. Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their final dose of vaccine.

COVID vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. are safe and effective against COVID-19 and the variants that are circulating. Vaccination is the best defense at preventing severe illness, hospitalizations and death. The delta variant is causing some “vaccine breakthrough infections,” meaning infections in fully vaccinated people, but even so, most breakthrough infections are mild. In areas with substantial and high transmission (https://dph.georgia.gov/county-indicator-reports), the CDC recommends that everyone (including fully vaccinated individuals) wear a mask in public indoor settings to help prevent spread of COVID-19 and the Delta variant.

COVID vaccines are free and widely available statewide without insurance or identification. Find your closest vaccine location.

Information contributed by World Hepatitis Alliance Toolkit:

Did you know that more than 300 million people across the globe are living with the hepatitis B virus or the hepatitis C virus? Worldwide, 90% of people living with hepatitis B and 80% living with hepatitis C are unaware they are living with the disease.

With a person dying every 30 seconds from a hepatitis related illness – even in the current COVID-19 crisis – we can’t wait to act on viral hepatitis.

Who does hepatitis affect?

According to World Hepatitis Alliance, together, hepatitis B and hepatitis C cause approximately 1.4 million deaths a year. Often times these viruses affect children and marginalized populations the most. Among these populations can be the following: people who partake in injecting drugs, indigenous peoples, immigrants, prisoners, men who have sex with men, and people who live with HIV/AIDS.

What is hepatitis?

World Hepatitis Alliance describes hepatitis as an inflammation of the liver, most commonly caused by a viral infection. There are five main hepatitis viruses, known as types A, B, C, D and E.

How we help:

The Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Departments work to prevent the spread of the hepatitis viruses in our community. Our Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program’s mission is to prevent the spread of the hepatitis B virus from a mother to her newborn baby. If a baby is born to a mother who has been infected with the hepatitis B virus, the baby can become infected at birth. Becoming infected puts the child at a higher risk of developing liver diseases like cirrhosis and liver cancer. This program also works to prevent the spread of the hepatitis B virus to any household and/or sexual contacts of pregnant women. If the woman is infected with the hepatitis B virus, her contacts are offered testing as well as the hepatitis B vaccine, if they are at risk of becoming infected or are not protected from infection.

Another way that we help is through our Viral Hepatitis Program. The goal of this program is to prevent the spread of viral hepatitis by conducting follow up with infected persons and their household and sexual contacts. Some of the current activities in the program include: surveillance for acute hepatitis A, acute and chronic hepatitis B and C, hepatitis immunization for high-risk populations, hepatitis testing in our clinics, professional and public education, and referral services to persons exposed to hepatitis A and B.

World Hepatitis Day is July 28, 2021

World Hepatitis Day is one of the World Health Organization’s officially mandated global public health days. It is a day when the world comes together to raise awareness of hepatitis, one of the deadliest and most neglected diseases and health crises – one that is claiming a life every 30 seconds.

Helpful Links:

• World Hepatitis Day
• What is Viral Hepatitis?

Sources: https://www.worldhepatitisalliance.org/what-viral-hepatitis-0

The keys to achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are healthy eating, regular physical activity, and staying away from (or saying goodbye to) tobacco and nicotine products.

Sometimes the hardest part of achieving a healthier lifestyle is getting started! Many people try to make too many changes at the same time – they join a gym, insist on eating only salads, quit smoking “cold-turkey” – only to give up. That is a lot of pressure for anyone to take on when small, manageable changes instead can really payoff, giving you a better chance of continuing.

If you are ready to live a healthier life, try to make some of the small changes listed below. When applied, these tips can make a big difference in your health!

Make healthy foods part of your day-to-day eating routine.

Add sides of veggies or fruits to your meals so you can ingest more vitamins and minerals.

Eat whole grains. Find a whole grain sub you like, stick to brown rice, whole-wheat bread, or whole-grain pasta. You do not have to switch to 100% whole grains right away, either! At first, just aim for 50% of your grains to be from whole grains. Remember, small changes can make a difference.

Trade out whole milk, cheese, or yogurt for low- or no-fat options when you can.

Try a “Meatless Monday” to explore non-meat protein options, like beans, grains, seeds, or soy. Reducing your meat consumption actually helps reduce the fat in your diet!

For more healthy eating tips, visit www.myplate.gov.

Get moving.

Just a little activity can make a big difference, and it does not have to be boring!

Dance, play basketball, garden, or walk. Find the activity that works best for you to get your body moving.

Aim for about 30 minutes of physical activity each day at least five days per week. Those 30 minutes can also be broken into smaller chunks, if that works better for you!

Learn how to incorporate physical activity in to your day at https://health.gov/moveyourway.

Don’t start using tobacco or nicotine products, or if you do, make a plan to quit!

Smoking is linked to lung and other cancers. Vaping can lead to lasting lung damage. If you don’t use tobacco or nicotine products, don’t start. If you do, consider stopping them all together.

Not only is using tobacco or nicotine products of any kind–smoking, vaping, hookah, chewing tobacco, pouches–harmful; it is extremely addictive and expensive! Read about the Cost of Vaping and Cost of Smoking! You will be surprised just how expensive it is.

Want to quit? Call the Tobacco Quit Line 1-877-270-STOP (877-270-7876) for support. You can do it!

Little changes can go a long way to ensure you live a healthy life. Take your first step! We believe in you, and we’re here for you.

The Community Health division of the Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Departments is committed to educating our community about healthy living. We offer diabetes prevention and education classes, nutrition education classes and more.

June 27 is National HIV Testing Day! On Saturday, June 26, the Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Departments and Live Healthy Gwinnett will be at Lucky Shoals Park in Norcross  from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. educating the community about HIV testing and why knowing your HIV status is important for everyone. We’ll have free games, prizes and food for you to enjoy, so make us part of your weekend!

An estimated 1.2 million people in the United States have HIV, including about 161,800 people who are unaware of their status. Nearly 40% of new HIV infections are transmitted by people who don’t know they have the virus.

Why get tested for HIV?

Everyone should aim to make HIV testing a regular part of his or her healthcare, regardless of relationship status, because HIV can affect anyone – man or woman, hetero- or homosexual, those in committed relationships or not.

Testing for HIV helps you stay healthy, and today, it’s easier than ever to get tested, so why not? For people with undiagnosed HIV, testing is the first step in maintaining a healthy life through treatment and preventing HIV transmission.

How do I get tested for HIV?

Your test, your way! The health department provides rapid testing at our health centers or we can mail you a home HIV test kit so you can self-test in the comfort of your home.

Request a home HIV test kit

This Saturday, we’ll have rapid tests with us at Lucky Shoals Park.

If I don’t have HIV, are there ways I can protect myself from acquiring HIV?

Individuals who are at risk for acquiring HIV can protect themselves by always using condoms and by starting pre-exposure prophylaxis, called PrEP, a daily pill that lowers your chances of acquiring HIV when used as prescribed. The health department offers two kinds of PrEP, Truvada and Descovy. We can help you learn which is right for you.

Condoms are available via a monthly subscription service. That’s right! We’ll mail condoms directly to you. Sign up for Condoms by Mail today.

Since we are talking about condoms, did you know that condoms are always available for free at our health centers? Stop by as needed.

What happens if I test HIV positive?

Receiving a diagnosis of HIV can be a life-changing event. But HIV does not equal death. Most people with HIV live long and healthy lives if they get and stay on treatment. If you test positive for HIV, you’ll be referred to a healthcare provider who can help you start ART, antiretroviral therapy to treat HIV.

Remember, knowing your HIV status helps you stay healthy.

Join us Saturday to learn more or just to talk. If you can’t make it to our event but would like to talk to someone about HIV prevention or testing, give us a call . We are happy to answer any of your questions.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Georgia and in the U.S., and Georgia ranks seventh in the nation for stroke deaths each year, too. Keeping your blood pressure in normal range, under 120/80 for most people, is crucial to preventing heart disease.

Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Department is pleased to announce it’s partnership with YMCA Atlanta to bring heart health to our counties.

This free program aims to help its participants reduce and manage blood pressure through education about healthy eating habits and triggers that elevate blood pressure.

Participants will meet with a Health Heart Ambassador for brief 10-minute meetings, twice per week for 4-months.

Individuals need to meet the follow qualifications to take part:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be diagnosed with high blood pressure
• Not have experienced a recent cardiac event
• Not have atrial fibrillation or other arrhythmias
• Not be at risk for lymphedema

If you are interested in taking steps toward improving your heart health, email kimberleyd@ymcaatlanta.org for more information.

The Health Department continues to seek out ways to make the prevention and management of chronic diseases accessible for all of our community members.

The Latin American Association recently honored Department of Public Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey; Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Director Dr. Audrey Arona; and Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE) with the Pacesetter Award for their work in providing COVID vaccinations to Latinx communities in Georgia and our three counties.

The LAA Pacesetter Award is named in honor of Mrs. Olga C de Goizueta and is presented to an individual or group whose extraordinary efforts have significantly advanced the Latino community in Georgia and carried on Mrs. Goizueta’s lasting legacy.

“Due to the tremendous effort by DPH, the local health department, and CORE to understand and respond to the needs of the Latinx community, we want to respond by honoring both Drs. Toomey and Arona as well as CORE with the award,” said Santiago Marquez, CEO of the Latin American Association. “They are saving lives!”

Learn more about vaccination options at our mass vaccination sites, health centers, and our partnership with CORE — all which include walk-in availability.

Beginning Tuesday, May 12, 2021, everyone 12 and over is eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.

Currently, Pfizer is the only COVID vaccine currently approved for children aged 12 through 17.

Click here to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine or to schedule an appointment.