State Health Department to Meet With County Officials Wednesday

Leadership in Toccoa-Stephens County is invited to a public planning meeting this week with the Stephens County Health Department and District Two Public Health.

The meeting takes place Wednesday morning at 9a at the Historic County Courthouse and is in advance of a Health Department drive-through flu clinic coming up later this month.

District Two Public Health spokesperson Dave Palmer said the meeting tomorrow will focus on outlining procedures in the event of a public health emergency.

Palmer says the drive-through flu clinic will also be a time for Toccoa-Stephens County departments, such as the Health Department and EMA to practice their emergency operation protocols.

“We run our drive-thru clinics as exercises,” he explained. “So we invited other community partners that wanted to be involved and needed to exercise any portion of the their emergency plan and wanted to be a part of it.”

That drive-through flu clinic is scheduled for Thursday, September 27 in the parking lot of the Pointe Church on Highway 17 from 8a to 4p.

Palmer says it’s a good opportunity for people to get their annual flu shot quickly and conveniently.

“It’s really good for people who are in wheelchairs or don’t get around so well. If people have a hard time walking, they don’t even have to get out of their car and we’ll give them the flu shot right there,” Palmer said.

Last year’s flu vaccine proved to be largely ineffective against certain strains of the

influenza virus, and at least 10 children died from the disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the main cause for last year’s vaccine to fail was the mutation of the H3N2 influenza virus.

Palmer says for this flu season, the CDC has a developed a vaccine that should do a better job of protecting the public.

“The vaccine is adjusted to match the virus that is circulating,” he said. “We’re pretty confident that the vaccine will be a good match this year.So, we’re encouraging everyone to go ahead and get their flu shot.”
Wednesday’s public health meeting is open to all interested community departments and organizations.

Again, the Stephens County Health Department’s drive-thru flu clinic will take place Thursday, September 27th from 8a to 4p in the parking lot of the Pointe Church on Highway 17 in Toccoa.