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Wednesday, February 3, 2021 - Pike County Journal Reporter - Page 7A
COVID-19 vaccine availability expanded
SPECIAL PHOTOS
Nearly half a million Georgia residents who are 65 and older have received the COVID-19 vac
cine and the two-dose vaccine is continuing to be distributed across the state.
Georgia Department of
Public Health District 4 is
distributing the free vac
cine as supplies are avail
able. To schedule first
dose appointments, call
762-888-8180 from 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m. on weekdays
in Pike, Lamar, Heard,
Spalding and Upson
County. Citizens can get
the vaccine in any county
and must have a second
dose several weeks later.
“If you need to know
your second dose ap
pointment date, please
go to district4health.org/
covid-19-vaccine/. You
don’t need to call, just
show up at the same time
as the first dose,” said
Hayla Folden of District
4 Public Health. “Please
know that we are still
adding dates. We appreci
ate your patience as we
keep working through
this.”
Those who are plan
ning international travel
must have a negative
COV1D-19 test result or
documentation of recov
ery from COV1D-19 before
their return to the United
States.
Around half a million
Georgians who are 65
and older have received
the COV1D-19 vaccine,
according to Gov. Brian
Kemp. The vaccine has
also been made available
to workers in the medical
field and first responders.
“Our top priority is
getting vaccines in the
arms of the most vul
nerable Georgians: our
seniors,” said Gov. Kemp.
“Thanks to our expanded
weekly allocation from
the federal government,
we will continue tak
ing necessary steps to
protect elderly Georgians
- especially those in our
nursing homes - front
line healthcare workers,
and first responders.
Demand for the vaccine
still vastly outweighs
supply, so I continue to
ask all Georgians to wear
a mask, practice social
distancing, and follow
public health guidance
as we get shots in arm as
safely and as quickly as
possible.”
Additionally, 99.5%
of nursing homes have
successfully had their
first clinic through the
Operation Warp Speed
partnership with CVS and
Walgreens. CVS has com
pleted all nursing homes
first clinics and 40%
of second clinics, col
lectively administering
41,306 doses. Walgreens
has completed 73 nursing
homes first clinics and
32% of second clinics,
collectively administer
ing 11,024 total doses.
“The public-private
partnership through Op
eration Warp Speed, CVS,
and Walgreens has nearly
completed all first clin
ics in Georgian nursing
homes,” Governor Kemp
continued. “Staff and
residents of our skilled
nursing facilities have
been among the hardest
hit by COV1D-19 across
the country and here in
Georgia. This significant
progress is certainly
good news.”
CVS and Walgreens
have respectively com
pleted 75% and 63% of
first clinics in non-nurs
ing home long term care
facilities.
To view providers
offering vaccinations or
other important CO-
V1D-19 information, visit
the Georgia Department
of Public Health website
at dph.georgia.gov/.
Routine exercise can improve life expectancy, overall health
Stephanie Cheri Sponseller of Concord practices the yoga poses she teaches locally. Exercise
is important at all stages of life and can actually reverse negative health conditions such as
high cholesterol and routine exercise can improve life expectancy.
There are many
reasons to get in shape.
Weight loss is a prime
motivator, as is reversing
a negative health effect,
such as high cholesterol
or increased diabetes
risk. Routine exercise
also can improve life
expectancy.
WebMD says exercise
keeps the body and brain
healthy. That’s why exer
cise should be an impor
tant component of daily
life no matter one’s age.
Research published
in the journal Immune
Aging found that how
people age is 75 percent
lifestyle and only 25
percent genetics, which
underscores the impor
tance of the lifestyle
choices people make.
CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS
Many health experts
say that cardiorespira
tory fitness may be just
as valuable a metric to
determine overall health
as blood pressure and
lipid levels. People with
a high aerobic capacity
can deliver oxygen to tis
sues and cells efficiently
to fuel exercise, accord
ing to data published in
2014 in the journal Aging
& Disease. In a study
involving 11,335 women,
researchers compared
V02 max, also known
as aerobic capacity, in
women with mortality
data.
Women who were
fit from a cardiovascu
lar perspective had a
lower death rate from all
causes, irrespective of
the women’s weight.
MANAGE STRESS AND MOOD
Exercise has direct
stress-busting benefits
that can promote longev
ity. The Mayo Clinic says
physical activity can
increase the production
of endorphins, which
are the body’s feel-good
neurotransmitters. In
addition, exercise can
imitate the effects of
stress, helping the body
adjust its flight or fight
response accordingly,
and help them cope with
mildly stressful situa
tions. While engaged in
exercise, people may
forget about their prob
lems as they are focused
on the activity at hand.
IMPROVE BONE HEALTH
Strength training and
physical activity can
stave off the effects of
frailty and osteoporo
sis, which affects bone
strength. A study pub
lished in the Journal of
Internal Medicine in 2017
found that hip fractures
are associated with
diminished quality of
life and survival among
the elderly. One in three
adults aged 50 and over
dies within 12 months of
suffering a hip fracture,
and older adults have a
five- to eight-times great
er risk of dying within
three months following
a hip fracture. Building
muscle strength, balance
and bone density through
exercise can reduce falls
and frailty, helping to
prevent fracture-related
health risks.
ADDRESSES SARCOPENIA
The health and well
ness resource Healthline
defines sarcopenia as
the loss of muscle mass
specifically related to
aging. Doctors once
considered this muscle
loss inevitable, and it can
affect stamina and lead
to weakness. However,
new indications suggest
that exercise is the main
treatment regimen for
sarcopenia, particularly
resistance training. This
is designed to improve
muscle strength and help
balance hormone levels
by turning protein into
energy for older adults.
SHEPHERDCARE
H O i P I C E
Contact:
Meredith Smith
Director of
Marketing
678-603-1321
CARE" it s not just our name, it's our lifestyle!
GRIFFIN OFFICE:
1501B Kalamazoo Dr., Griffin, GA 30224
THOM ASTON OFFICE:
201 N. Church St., Thomaston, GA 30286
We service all surrounding counties to each office.
www.ShepherdCareGA.com
City Pharmacy
Of Zebulon
460 Thomaston St, Zebulon, GA 30295
fj| 770-567-8844
Monday - Friday 8:30am-6pm
Saturday 8:30am-1 2:30pm
Sunday CLOSED
• General and high-risk obstetrical care
• Centering Pregnancy: Group Prenatal Care
• Contraception care and management
• Adolescent health education services
• Offices in Thomaston and Barnesville
OB/GYN
Sherida L. Williams, M.D. 706-647-9627
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