Health Care and Medicine

Amid dropping demand, president now plans to reallocate unclaimed vaccines like Iowa’s

Linn County reports 28 new cases, Johnson reports four

As blood supply reaches critical levels, local collection center reports only one-day supply on certain blood types

Nearly a quarter of the individuals who received the first shot of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series in Iowa did not return for the second dose within the recommended interval of 21-28 days, state public health data shows.

State public health officials say the State Hygienic Lab has confirmed two cases of a new COVID-19 variant, SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617, in Jefferson County.

The managed care program has sent “signals of a stable program” since its switch five years ago, Elizabeth Matney, Iowa’s recently appointed Medicaid director, told The Gazette this week. That means state leadership can focus on addressing overall population health of the more than 700,000 poor and disabled Iowans who rely on Medicaid.

State reports no new, confirmed deaths

Mercy Medical Center announced plans to construct a new facility to house the hospital’s heart services under one roof. The new building, called the Heart Center of Mercy, will be located in downtown Cedar Rapids at Ninth Street SE and Eighth Avenue SE.