Early Protection Gap

The Current Landscape

Chattahoochee County presents a unique public health story. We have achieved a perfect 100% Kindergarten Immunization Rate and have successfully minimized hesitancy with a 0% Religious Exemption Rate. However, significant gaps exist in early childhood and adolescent interventions. Among 19-35 month olds, only 79.7% are up-to-date on their MMR (down 10.4 points from 2024), and just 55.8% have completed the 7-vaccine series (up 4.4 points from 2024). Furthermore, only 67.2% of 13-17 year olds have received their MMR. These gaps highlight a broader challenge: rural and underserved communities face systemic provider shortages. With zero practicing pediatricians and only one VFC provider in the county, access to care and continued follow-up are our primary hurdles. To address this, our intervention strategy focuses on advocating for policies that fund mobile clinics and support existing rural providers. The intended result is to create frictionless access to routine immunizations regardless of geographic location.