Georgia health officials say the state is battling a flu epidemic that may be the worst in a decade. What comes next is uncertain. There’s evidence that flu activity is decreasing, the state said Friday. Still, Dr. Patrick O’Neal of the Georgia Department of Public Health said in a statement, “We may not have seen…
Kirrena Gallagher was a pregnant teenager who, in her own words, had “no prior experience’’ with the responsibilities of motherhood. Gallagher was connected to a home visit program in Clarke County that taught her parenting skills and how to help her child develop so he could be ready for school. Today, her son Malachi is…
Here’s an eye-opening statistic: One in 24 Georgia adults report they recently fell asleep while driving. A CDC report on drowsy driving, released Thursday, said Georgia’s average of 4.1 percent is similar to the nation’s average of 4.2 percent of adults who said they fell asleep at least once while driving in the previous month. The…
With flu season in full swing, many Americans will turn to the medication Tamiflu for relief. The prescription product is highly advertised this time of year. Dr. Mark Ebell, associate professor of epidemiology in the University of Georgia’s College of Public Health, analyzed published and unpublished studies of Tamiflu and concluded that it may be…
A year of improvements in child care earned a new three-star rating for Explorations Christian Academy. Suezenette McDonald, who runs the Explorations service in Lawrencville, achieved that top rating by enlarging her playground, improving the nutrition and learning materials, and adding safety features, among other enhancements. “Parents love it,’’ McDonald says. “Parents see what the…
A newly released state-by-state health report card shows Georgia moving up — from 38th to 36th. America’s Health Rankings track states on 24 measures, from obesity, smoking and diabetes to lack of health insurance, infant mortality and air pollution. Vermont was judged the healthiest state, while Louisiana and Mississippi were tied at the bottom at…
Once again, Georgia is not including questions about sexual behavior in a CDC-sponsored survey of high school students. A health coalition recently sent a letter to Gov. Nathan Deal, asking him to rescind a decision to omit the sex questions in next year’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). Those questions include: Have you ever had…
Despite all the headlines about meth, marijuana, synthetic pot and prescription misuse, alcohol remains the most commonly used and abused drug among U.S. youth. Excessive alcohol consumption, including binge drinking, accounts for thousands of deaths among young Americans each year, the CDC says. Drinking, including moderate drinking, is a factor in a large percentage of…
The nationwide meningitis outbreak is far from over, a leading CDC investigator says. Dr. John Jernigan, an infectious disease expert, told a group of health journalists Monday in Atlanta that the federal health agency expects to see new cases in the months ahead. Since the outbreak began, the CDC has been tracking pain clinic patients…
Saturday is World AIDS Day. Every Dec. 1 is a day to pay tribute to the millions of people living with HIV/AIDS and commemorate those who have died. Georgia is marking the day with a proclamation by Gov. Nathan Deal, designating it as World AIDS Day in Georgia. The Georgia Department of Public Health said…