Health

By FDA Press Office— WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, and will now be marketed as Comirnaty (koe-mir’-na-tee), for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older. The vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA), including for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised…

By Center for Disease Control and Prevention— ATLANTA. Georgia—Public health and medical experts from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have released the following statement on the Administration’s plan for COVID-19 booster shots for the American people. The statement is attributable to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Dr. Janet Woodcock, Acting Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General; Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National…

By Mary Ippel— MUNCIE, Ind.—My name is Mary Ippel.  I am almost 69 years old. I am the wife of Bruce Ippel.  I am the mother of ten wonderful children, seven in-law children, and grandmother to 15 grandchildren, as well as several other children I love as my own.  I love the Lord and, as a Purdue Master Gardener in Delaware county, I love to garden. Six years ago I suddenly became very ill while we were visiting my daughter…

By Lauren Schregardus— Events statewide on July 24 will feature free health screenings, offer wellness resources and affordable immunizations at Walmart pharmacies Indianapolis, IN– Walmart is inviting customers to take control of their health at Walmart Wellness Day, a free event on Saturday, July 24, where they can get health screenings and wellness resources at pharmacies statewide, as well as immunizations in one easy location. The goal of Walmart Wellness Day is to help customers get back on track with preventive…

By Chris Davis, Network Indiana— STATE WIDE–Indiana could be susceptible to another wave of coronavirus, given the way the Delta variant spreads, says an infectious disease expert who is urging people to get educated about the COVID vaccine. Indiana’s vaccination rate is 54.3 percent. That number represents people who are eligible and are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control. “I think we all hoped it would be higher at this stage in the pandemic because…

By John Disher— Annual “100,000 Award” recognizes dedication to improving health and well-being Muncie, IN— The Healthy Community Alliance of East Central Indiana (HCA) presented its “100,000 Award in Memory of Dr. George Branam” to the Healthy Lifestyle Center during its annual partner meeting on June 17, 2021. The annual award is given to an organization that supports the work of the HCA through outstanding leadership, innovative collaborations and unwavering dedication to improving the health and well-being of our community….

By IU School of Medicine— Indianapolis, IN—A National Centralized Repository for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias(NCRAD) grant has been renewed for another five years with funding expected to total $30 million from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NCRAD is led by Tatiana Foroud, PhD, Executive Associate Dean for Research Affairs at IU School of Medicine. Since 2018, NCRAD has been among the five largest grants awarded to the IU School of Medicine. “The…

By Courtney Schmoll— Muncie, IN – The emergency department at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital has been extremely busy. To help ensure that our patients are receiving the best care possible, we encourage you to use this general guideline to determine whether you should go to your doctor’s office versus the emergency room. How do I know if my illness requires emergency medicine or a primary care visit? The emergency room is designed for treating and ruling out life-threatening, true medical…