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The University of Texas Medical Branch was awarded an agreement of nearly $25 million dollars from the U.S. Department of Defense to develop prototype vaccines against multiple diseases in collaboration with Moderna on Monday.

On Tuesday's show: Researchers at UTMB are expanding a unique study about the mental health effects of COVID-19 on a generation of youth.

There are several nonsurgical treatments available as well as surgical techniques with a successful track record.

A suspect was jailed and given an $80,000 bond after shooting a man Thursday, according to the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office.

A driver is facing charges after he allegedly struck and killed a bicyclist with his vehicle in Galveston Wednesday evening, Galveston police said.

Why the global triathlon giant opted to go all-in on a niche sport.

There's a risk of injury every time someone steps on to a playing surface. Here are ways to lessen that risk.

Ben Raimer, the president of the University of Texas Medical Branch, has been placed on administrative leave.

A man has been arrested and charged after a Galveston County Sheriff’s Office deputy was injured at Galveston’s Jeep Weekend at Crystal Beach Sunday morning, according to Sheriff Henry Trouchesset.

There are currently over 100,000 people waiting for an organ transplant in the United States.

The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) is renaming their school of medicine as a result of one of the largest cumulative contributions in history to an American institution.

A new procedure at UTMB Galveston is changing the way men can be treated for prostate cancer.

KPRC 2 is happy to present our UTMB Health Athlete of the Week award to two Clear Creek volleyball players: Reaghan Thompson and Briana Zamora.

Wednesday was another busy day inside the COVID unit at UTMB’s League City hospital.

Eight months after the second dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is when experts believe antibodies begin to diminish and a booster vaccine is needed.

Vaccine providers are slowly moving away from large scale sites and focusing on smaller community sites.

The COVID-19 variant ravaging India right now has been detected in our area. There are at least two patients with this highly contagious form of the virus at UTMB and doctors suspect there could be a lot more.

As more doses of the coronavirus vaccine arrive in the Houston area, officials are ramping up the process of administering those shots.

HOUSTON – Galveston County health officials said they hope to begin offering coronavirus vaccine appointments again after the state designated two agencies in the county as vaccine hubs. On Saturday, the state named UTMB Health Galveston and the Galveston County Health District as the hubs for the county. Dr. Philip Keiser, the health authority for Galveston County, said officials are anticipating 5,000 doses to arrive in the county this week. The vaccine shipment is expected to arrive either Tuesday or Wednesday. County officials are providing updates on the vaccine at gchd.org.

Here’s a look at how Houston-area hospital systems plan to distribute the approved vaccines. Memorial HermannIn compliance with Texas’ guidance for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, Memorial Hermann is prioritizing vaccine distribution to persons in Phase 1A and Phase 1B. As soon as the vaccine is more widely available, Memorial Hermann plans to offer it to its patients and members of the community. According to its website, vaccine distribution plans are determined by the FDA, CDC, and state and local health departments. University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB Health) SystemOn Dec. 30, UTMB Health announced plans to expand its employee vaccination program to high-risk individuals.

HOUSTON – Houston Methodist Hospital, UTMB in Galveston, Ben Taub, Memorial Herman, and Texas Children’s Hospital all say they plan to begin vaccinations next week. “Our personnel are ready to accept vaccines as early as this weekend, should it arrive, but we probably anticipate it arriving on Monday or Tuesday,” said Roberta Schwartz, executive VP of Houston Methodist. Memorial Hermann said with two effective vaccines likely coming to their doorstep, they’ll eventually be able to vaccinate every employee. Key dates:- Dec. 14 is when the state says they could begin rolling out the Pfizer vaccine to hospitals. AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson are two other companies that could be following close behind them but they have yet to apply for EUA.

HOUSTON The cure to COVID-19 may be here in Houston. In America: Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Novavax and Moderna are getting a lot of attention for having vaccine candidates almost ready to go. He said the Moderna vaccine is re-programming the virus' genetic code, meaning the immune system can naturally develop antibodies. The group of researchers with Houston Fights COVID is still in need of hundreds of people to participate in various trials. Ventavia Research Group is also looking for participants in Houston to test drug makers vaccines.

Galveston Last week, the World Health Organization stated small particles in the air could transmit the coronavirus. Scott Weaver, MD, with UTMB, said how long and how potent these invisible airborne particles are is now better understood. How to protect yourselfThis is significant because knowing how dangerous airborne particles are tells them the importance of everyone wearing masks. So, if theres a place with stagnant air space, people close together especially, distance still matters. Do not turn off air conditionersIf someone in your household has the virus, you do not want to turn off the air conditioning.

Galveston County residents and those who live in county municipalities, which include portions of Harris County, can receive a new free COVID-19 antibody test. Hospitals throughout the state, including in Galveston County, are not at or near capacity, Governor Abbott said this week. Many antibody tests have proven to be inaccurate. He added that antibody testing also helps healthcare professionals treat those with acute coronavirus. We can contain the plasma part of the blood that contains antibodies of COVID-19, Dr. Laposata said.

Here are a few examples:ModernaThis week, we learned about the Moderna vaccine that is showing promise. Moderna is a young company (10 years old) and has never had a drug approved before so this would be the first. Last week, a few experts said the United States is not prepared to start supplying millions of doses of any kind of vaccine. That’s exactly what the researchers working on the trials with these vaccines want to find out. Before producing millions of doses and injecting millions of people, they want to know who is a good candidate for the drug.

GALVESTON, Texas – A man was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop Monday in Galveston. Police said Officer Derrick Jaradi pulled over 18-year-old Luis Argueta around 3 a.m. in the area of 53rd Street near Avenue L.At some point, Jaradi shot Argueta. Argueta was taken to UTMB, where he was pronounced dead, police said. It is unclear why Argueta was pulled over, if he got out of the car or if he pulled out a weapon. The Galveston County Sheriff's Office is investigating.