National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is April 27 – May 4, 2019, and Gwinnett, Newton, and Rockdale Health Departments (GNR Health Departments) urge residents to protect infants from vaccine-preventable diseases by ensuring our little ones and everyone around them, are vaccinated and up-to-date on their immunization schedules.

“Protect your baby! Have your children immunized according to the CDC guidelines to keep your child healthy” said Gloria Melvin, Immunizations Coordinator from GNR Health Departments. “Vaccines are safe and save lives.”

NIIW is a call to action for parents, caregivers and health care providers to ensure that infants are fully vaccinated against 14 vaccine-preventable diseases.

In Georgia, there have been three confirmed cases of measles since January 1, 2019. Because measles is a highly contagious disease that can lead to serious complications and death in infants, it’s important for parents and caregivers to make sure their families are up-to-date on their vaccinations.

Two doses given at least four weeks apart are recommended for children aged 6 months through 8 years of age who are getting a flu vaccine for the first time and for some other children in this age group.

• Two doses of HepA vaccine are needed for lasting protection. The first dose of HepA vaccine should be given between 12 months and 23 months of age. The second dose should be given 6 to 18 months later. HepA vaccination may be given to any child 12 months and older to protect against HepA. Children and adolescents, who did not receive the HepA vaccine and are at high-risk, should be vaccinated against HepA.

According to the CDC, the United States currently has the safest, most effective vaccine supply in its history. Scientists, doctors and health care professionals give vaccines to children only after long, thorough and careful review. The disease-prevention benefits of vaccines are much greater than the possible side-effects for most children. Vaccination is the best way to protect others from vaccine-preventable diseases.

GNR Health Departments encourages everyone, in observance of National Infant Immunization Week, to protect the little ones who cannot yet protect themselves: call 770-339-4260 to schedule an appointment for vaccination at one of our 5 health clinics or visit www.gnrhealth.com/locations for more information.

Helpful Links

• Child Immunizations 
• CDC National Infant Immunizations Week 
• GNR Health Clinic Locations 

Each year on April 18, National Transgender HIV Testing Day is observed as an opportunity to focus on HIV testing, prevention, and treatment among transgender people. It encourages local testing events and testing campaigns to increase HIV status awareness in transgender populations.

GNR Health Departments has specially trained health professionals on transgender sensitivity, health issues, and healthcare needed to help individuals feel safe and supported when getting tested for HIV. On Friday, April 19^th from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Georgia Gwinnett College Building F, our team of HIV Prevention professionals will be providing information on HIV, FREE HIV testing, and support to prevent or treat HIV. Georgia Gwinnett College is located at 1000 University Center Ln, Lawrenceville, GA 30043.

It is estimated that around 1.4 million adults identify as transgender, a term that is defined as being a person whose gender identity differs from the sex the person had at birth. This means a person who is born a male at birth and who then identifies as a woman is a transgender women. Transgender women are at a high risk of having HIV and becoming infected with HIV. According to the CDC, 22-28% of transgender women are living with HIV and more than 56% of black/African American transgender of women are living with HIV.

While HIV stigma can affect everyone regardless of race, sex, orientation, and color. Transgender populations have a unique set of challenges that prevent these individuals from getting the healthcare they need. Research on transgender populations is limited and only a few health care providers receive proper training or are knowledgably about transgender health issues. This can influence transgender populations to avoid healthcare access. Join GNR Health Departments to end stigma of HIV among transgender individuals and encourage individuals to get information, tested, and treatment.

Helpful Links 

• National Transgender HIV Testing Day Resources
• HIV Among Transgender People
• CDC Factsheet
• Center of Excellence for Transgender Health
• Primary Care Treatment for Transgender Individuals
• Flyer – English and Spanish
• Map of Georgia Gwinnett College

April 10th is National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day (NYHAAD). The day was created to educate the public about the impact of HIV/AIDS on young people and to highlight the work going on across the country to respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. While youth are making better decisions about sexual behavior and drug use, it’s not enough to protect them from HIV and STDs. According to the CDC, 1 in 5 new HIV infections occurs in youth ages 13 to 24 years. More alarming, about 60% of all youth with HIV don’t know they are infected, which means they are not getting treated and can unknowingly pass the virus on to others.

GNR Health Departments is working tirelessly to educate and test the Gwinnett, Newton, and Rockdale County residents on HIV. Our HIV Prevention Program in partnership with Georgia Department of Public Health, is dedicated to ending the HIV epidemic. The HIV Prevention Program has specialized epidemiologists, health educators, and healthcare providers working together to spread awareness on the risk of HIV, offer rapid tests that can detect HIV in minutes, and more!

Education and prevention materials are provided at our health clinics and can be delivered to organizations upon request. We offer FREE HIV testing at all of our health clinics with no appointment required. Everyone – youth, adults, seniors – can get tested for HIV. We don’t stop at just testing individuals for HIV; we also offer referrals to low-cost providers for HIV positive individuals and help HIV positive individuals who may have discontinued their treatment find treatment again.

For confidential health support: call 770-339-4260 or visit one of our locations.

Helpful Links

HIV.gov

CDC

Georgia Department of Public Health 

Health Department Locations 

Get Tested for HIV Flyer – English

Get Tested for HIV Flyer – Spanish

Thursday, March 21, the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB) partnered with Gwinnett, Newton & Rockdale County Health Departments’ (GNR) WIC program, hosting a mobile food pantry outside the Lawrenceville Health Center on Grayson Highway. The event was open specifically to participants in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program. Participants received a box of fresh produce from Georgia farms and other items to make a meal, like spaghetti noodles and spaghetti sauce. “This is such a blessing,” one participant was heard saying.

“The Atlanta Community Food Bank reached out to partner with us to support WIC participation and to expand their food distribution to families in need,” said Diane Shelton, GNR WIC Nutrition Director. “This is a great service to our community and participants in our program.”

WIC program participants receive education about nutrition and health to help families eat well and be healthy, support and information about breastfeeding, and food vouchers to buy healthy foods from WIC-authorized vendors.

“Part of our goal as an organization is to make sure that we are definitely focusing on families with children. It’s one of the biggest populations in need right now,” said Ron Burns, Jr., Director of Partner Relations with ACFB. “We’re being proactive partnering with WIC to try and close that gap and get them what they need.”

Learn more about WIC and how to qualify.

Diabetes affects about 30.3 million Americans or about 9.4 percent of the U.S. population. Nearly 1 in 4 adults living with diabetes and worse, 7.2 million Americans, are unaware that they have the disease. Diabetes is a serious disease that can lead to complications like kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, blindness, and amputations. But type 2 diabetes doesn’t have to be permanent—it can be prevented or delayed with healthy lifestyle modifications. The first step is learning your risk.

That’s why this year Gwinnett, Newton, and Rockdale County Health Departments is participating in American Diabetes Association Alert Day®. On March 26^th from 10AM – 2PM, there will be two events hosted locally for Diabetes Alert Day.

Norcross Health & Human Services building located at 5030 Georgia Belle Court in Norcross

Centerville Community Center at 3025 Bethany Rd in Snellville to take a Risk Test and an A1C test to find out if you’re at risk.

On March 26^th, we encourage you to take a simple and anonymous one minute test to find out if you are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. You’ll answer questions such as, “Do you have a family history of diabetes?” and “Are you physically active?” to learn your diabetes risk in 60 seconds. It’s that simple.

Once you’ve taken the test, share it with friends and family—with 84 million Americans at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, someone you love could be at risk.

Learn more about this disease, how to prevent it, and how to fight back to help transform your life at http://www.diabetes.org/in-my-community/wellness-lives-here/mission-engagement-days/alert-day/ .

We hope you’ll join us by learning your type 2 diabetes risk this year for Alert Day, and help others do the same.

Helpful Links

• Prediabetes and Diabetes Info
• At Risk for Type 2 Diabetes?

1. Is TB still a public health problem worldwide and in the United States?

Fact: TB is one of the world’s deadliest diseases. One-third of the world’s population is infected with the bacteria that causes TB, and each year, over 9 million people around the world become sick with TB disease. Almost one-and-a-half million deaths worldwide occur each year from TB.

In the United States, 9,105 TB cases were reported during 2017. While TB rates in the United States have been declining slowly since 1993, there remains a disproportionate burden of TB among racial and ethnic minorities. TB rates are higher for some racial and ethnic groups, probably because a greater proportion of people in these groups have other risk factors for TB.

2. Does everyone who becomes infected with TB bacteria get sick?

Fact: Not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick with TB disease. People who become infected, but are not sick have what is called latent TB infection (LTBI). People who have LTBI do not feel sick, do not have any symptoms, and cannot spread TB bacteria to others. But some people with LTBI go on to get TB disease. People who have TB disease do feel sick, have signs and symptoms, and may spread TB bacteria to others. Learn more about the difference between LTBI and TB disease.

3. Can some people get TB disease easier than others?

Fact: While anyone can get TB disease, some people wgho get infected with TB bacteria are more likely to get sick. You have a higher chance of getting TB disease if you:

• People who have spent time with someone who has TB disease
• People from a country where TB disease is common (most countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Russia)
• People who live or work in high-risk settings (for example: correctional facilities, long-term care facilities or nursing homes, and homeless shelters)
• Health-care workers who care for patients at increased risk for TB disease
• Infants, children and adolescents exposed to adults who are at increased risk for latent tuberculosis infection or TB disease

4. What kinds of tests can detect TB infection?

Fact: Two Tests: A skin test or a TB blood test can be used to detect TB infection.

The Mantoux tuberculin skin test is performed by injecting a small amount of fluid (called tuberculin) into the skin in the lower part of the arm. A person given the tuberculin skin test must return within 48 to 72 hours to have a trained health care worker look for a reaction on the arm.

The TB blood test measures how the person’s immune system reacts to the bacteria that cause TB.

5. How are latent TB infection and TB disease treated?

Fact: LTBI and TB disease can be treated by taking medicine. It is very important that people take the drugs exactly as they are told. If you stop taking the drugs too soon, you can become sick again. If you do not take the drugs correctly, the bacteria that are still alive may become difficult to treat with those drugs. You should take medicine as recommended by a doctor. Learn more about TB treatment.

Helpful Links 

• Tuberculosis in Georgia pdf
• Preventive Health Clinic 
• CDC Tuberculosis Info

Vaccinate your preteen today so they can have healthy tomorrow.

In an effort to protect every adult and child, Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Departments is joining the Georgia Department of Public Health in recognizing March 11-15, 2019 as Georgia Preteen Vaccine Awareness Week. This week serves as a reminder for parents to talk with their preteens and teens about getting immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases.

Immunizations Coordinator, Gloria Melvin, stresses. “It’s important for parents and young adolescents to be educated on immunizations that prevent illnesses. Thanks to these vaccines, preteens can have a healthier future by protecting themselves against preventable infectious 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 to 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.

“Every parent wants to protect their child from danger, yet many times parents don’t see vaccination as a priority,” said Sheila Lovett, Immunization Program director for the Georgia Department of Public Health. “Vaccinating your child is the single best way to protect them from these preventable diseases, so we urge parents to make this a priority.”

The CDC currently recommends the following vaccines for preteens and teens:
• Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis (Tdap)
• Influenza (flu)
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
• Meningococcal Disease (MenACWY)
Georgia Preteen Vaccine Awareness Week is an opportunity to raise awareness through schools, health care providers and the 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.

Helpful Links

• Immunizations Requirements for Schools
• Vaccines for Preteens
• Georgia Department of Public Health Immunizations
• HPV Vaccine

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD) is an annual observance that sheds light on the impact of HIV and AIDS on women and girls. Every year on March 10, and throughout the month of March, national and community organizations come together to show support for women and girls impacted by HIV and AIDS. This year marks the 12th observance of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

Today, about one in four people living with HIV in the United States is female. Only about half of women living with HIV are getting care, and only four in 10 of them have the virus under control. Women face unique HIV risks and challenges that can prevent them from getting needed care and treatment. Addressing these issues remains critical to achieving an HIV- and AIDS-free generation.

The 2019 theme is “HIV Prevention Starts With Me.” Everyone — women, men, community organizations, health care professionals, those who are HIV-negative, and those living with HIV — has a role to play in HIV prevention. There are steps you can take to protect yourself, your partner, your patients, family, and neighbors from HIV infection. Learn how.

• Use condoms every time you have sex.
• Get an HIV test, which is free and confidential.
• Be monogamous.
• Do not abuse alcohol or drugs.
• Talk to your doctor about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) or post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) if you think you’re at risk for HIV.

To learn more, explore these links:

What every woman needs to know about HIV

What every girl needs to know about HIV

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day fact sheet

Content provided by the Office of Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

You may have never seen a case of polio or diphtheria, but these diseases still occur in other countries. For example, measles is rare in the United States because of vaccination, but it is still common around the world. Unvaccinated travelers who are infected while abroad can easily bring diseases to the United States.

Measles is a contagious viral infection that spreads through coughing and sneezing. It starts with fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, and sore throat. It’s followed by a rash that spreads over the body. Measles can be dangerous for babies and young children, especially. Make sure you and your child are protected with measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

If you are a healthcare provider:  report suspect cases of measles IMMEDIATELY by calling your local District Health Office or the DPH Acute Disease Epidemiology Section at 404-657-2588 during business hours Monday through Friday, or 1-866-PUB-HLTH after-hours on evenings and weekends.

Helpful Links:

About Measles

Measles Infographic 

Measles Vaccine

This year’s National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness day theme is  “Together for Love: Stop HIV Stigma”. It highlights the messages of the Act Against AIDS, Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign.  Let’s Stop HIV Together raises awareness that we all have a role to play in stopping HIV stigma.

The Issue 

According to the CDC, there are more Blacks/African Americans newly diagnosed with HIV diagnoses and living with HIV, compared to other races/ethnicities. In 2017,  43% (16,694) of the 38,739 new HIV diagnoses in the United States were found in Blacks/African Americans.

The Challenges Faced by Blacks/African Americans

1 in 7 Blacks/African Americans with HIV are unaware they have it. People who do not know they have HIV cannot take advantage of HIV care and treatment and may unknowingly pass HIV to others.

Some Black/African American communities have higher rates of some sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) than other racial/ethnic communities. Having another STD can increase a person’s chance of getting or transmitting HIV.

Stigma, fear, discrimination, and homophobia may place many Black/African Americans at higher risk for HIV.

The poverty rate is higher among African Americans than other racial/ethnic groups which can limit their access to healthcare, housing, and HIV prevention education. These factors may explain why African Americans have worse outcomes on the HIV continuum of care, including lower rates of linkage to care and viral suppression.

Next Steps 

The CDC funds state and local health departments to deliver effective HIV prevention services. GNR Health Departments offer free HIV testing and education all year round. We have nurses, peer counselors, and educators that work hard to reduce the HIV stigma. This year, our STD/HIV Prevention team will provide Free HIV testing at Georgia Gwinnett College on February 15 and February 22 from 12 PM to 4 PM . Testing will take place in the GGC Fitness Center located at 55 Collins Industrial Way, Lawrenceville, GA 30043.

Helpful Links

• National HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 
• HIV and Blacks/African Americans 
• Standing Up to Stigma