Each of our schools has a trained nurse on staff.  For many children, our nurses are the first line of medical care.  Nurses treat children with the usual headaches, stomach aches, fevers, strains and sprains, head lice, and acute injuries. They also help treat any health issues that arise with faculty and staff members. School nurses help manage the care of students with diagnosed conditions like diabetes and asthma.  They oversee on-site care and medicines which need to be dispensed at school and help teach children about their disease.  They conduct hearing and vision tests for children who may not have received this care from a pediatrician or health department. They are part of the certified emergency response team at every school.

Tattnall County School District offers the opportunity for your child to see a physician via telemedicine for a primary care visit or follow up for medication management.  They can also visit a dentist at school for routine screenings and cleanings.   You can learn more by talking with your school nurse.    

All students entering or attending Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grades are required to have a valid Georgia Certificate of Immunization Form 3231, issued by a licensed Georgia physician, or qualified employee of the local Health Department or the State Immunization Office. The students must have been immunized against those diseases as so specified by the Georgia Department of Human Resources. Parents/guardians are responsible for seeing that their children are properly immunized in accordance with Georgia law.

Georgia's immunization requirements for children attending seventh grade have been revised to align with the current Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Effective July 1, 2014, all children born on or after January 1, and children who are new entrants into a Georgia school in grades eight through twelve, must have received one dose of Tdap vaccine and one dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine.

Effective July 1, 2020, children 16 years of age and older who are entering the 11th grade (including new entrants) must have received one booster dose of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4), unless their initial dose was administered on or after their 16th birthday.

The only exemption for any vaccine is Medical Exemption or Religious Objection. The Medical Exemption must be renewed each year and signed by a physician. The Religious Objection must be documented, by parent or guardian, on “The Religious Objections to Required Immunizations Form 2208. This form may be obtained at your child’s school, or by visiting the Georgia Department of Public Health website. The form must be notarized and does not have to be renewed.

Vaccination and Immunization Resources:

• School Vaccines and Updates
• Immunization Requirements for Georgia School Attendance
• Georgia Department of Public Health
• Vaccines for Children Program
• Meningoccocal Vaccine Requirement

Scoliosis screening is required for all students in the 6th and 8th grades who attend public school in Georgia. Scoliosis is a sideways curve of the spine. About 3% of children are affected by scoliosis. It can occur at any age but is often noticeable between the ages of 9 and 16, when growth occurs rapidly. Early detection is important to avoid potentially serious problems later in life if a spinal curve is not recognized, treated, and it continues to progress. The screening test is an observation of the child’s back when standing and bending forward.

There are options for how the screening can be completed:
• Submit a completed Form #4400, Certificate of Scoliosis screening. Form #4400 can be completed by a physician with an active GA license or person working under the supervision of a physician with an active GA license, the local health department, or licensed school nurse. A completed Form #4400 should be provided to the school within the first 90 days of 6th and 8th grade. Form #4400 can be found at www.dph.georgia.govOpens in a new browser tab.
OR
• Children can participate in a school scoliosis screening event. Students without a completed Form #4400 on file more than 90 days after the start of school will be asked to participate in scoliosis screening during a school screening event

Parents or guardians can choose to not have their student screened for scoliosis by selecting the opt-out option on Form #4400 or opt-out of the school scoliosis screening event later in the
school year.

Below you will find some trusted sites to help you be prepared in the event of an emergency.   Please remember to write down a list of important numbers such as family members, hospitals, doctors and any elderly neighbors that may need to be checked on in the event of an emergency. 

• CDC:  Prepare Your Health 
• American Red Cross:  Survival Kit Supplies
• How to Create a Family Emergency Communication Plan
• Red Cross - Southeast Georgia Local Information for Disaster Relief

Disaster Relief Information-911:  Tattnall 911 services are available for all residents.