Community Resilience

A Strategic Roadmap for Rabun County Public Health

The Current Landscape

Rabun County shows a strong foundation in public health compliance. We have achieved a 95.58% Kindergarten Immunization Rate, successfully meeting the critical 95% target for herd immunity. Additionally, 90.4% of children in childcare have certificates on file. However, with toddler coverage hovering at 84.5% for MMR and a visible religious exemption rate of 3.31%, our focus must be on closing the pre-school gap and maintaining community trust.

Rabun County Measles Risk

Measles Risk. Data for mapping from collaboration between Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai. Map Design by ABC owned TV stations data team.

0% Kindergarten Rate
Target: 95% (Met)
0% Religious Exemptions
Monitor Closely
0% Toddler MMR Rate
Gap to 95% (19-35 Mos)
0% Toddler DTaP Rate
Gap to 90% (19-35 Mos)
0% Childcare Certs
Strong Early Records

Strategic Recommendations

1. Closing the Toddler Gap

While 84.5% is a solid baseline, it falls short of the 95% needed for measles herd immunity.

Outreach
Implement recall systems for the ~15% of toddlers missing doses between 18 months and age 4.
Access
Partner with the 90% of childcare centers to verify status earlier than kindergarten entry.
2. Maintaining Excellence

With a 95.58% kindergarten rate, our school entry checks are working perfectly. This system must be preserved.

Best Practice
Continue strong partnership with school registrars to ensure new entrants are vetted immediately.
3. Addressing Hesitancy

A 3.31% exemption rate suggests a small segment of the community requires engagement, not mandates.

Education
Provide non-judgmental educational resources to parents exploring exemptions.
4. Driving Policy Change

Sustainable improvement requires a supportive policy environment that prioritizes student health.

Advocacy
Provide policy analysis on vaccine requirements and encourage advocacy.
Contact State Elected Officials Contact School Board Officials