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ATLANTA — The charitable arm of Coca-Cola has donated $60,000 to three Atlanta-based organizations that aim to reduce hunger.

The Atlanta Community Food Bank, the Salvation Army Metro Atlanta Area Command and Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless were each awarded $20,000 from the Coca-Cola Foundation. The donations are part of the foundation's “Donations in Lieu of Decorations Initiative,” which has awarded more than $500,000 to 45 organizations since 1992.

ATLANTA — As many as 111 million Americans had gotten a flu shot by mid-November, representing 36% of the 305 million Americans over the age of 6 months, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated in a media telebriefing Monday afternoon. The number of people getting vaccinated is up slightly from last year, the CDC reported, most notably among children and seniors.

ATLANTA — NeoMedia Technologies on Thursday reported a dramatic 240% rise in mobile bar code scans via its scanning software application NeoReader for Black Friday 2011 compared with last year, including 13% growth in 2-D scans over 1-D.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark’s MinuteClinic has entered into a clinical affiliation with Emory Healthcare, the largest hospital system in Georgia, to enhance access to healthcare services in communities throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area.

MinuteClinic has 31 clinics inside select CVS/pharmacy stores in metro Atlanta.

ATLANTA — SoloHealth, a consumer-driven healthcare technology company, on Wednesday said Stanley Blaylock, former Walgreens SVP and former president of Walgreens Health Services, will join SoloHealth’s board of directors. The announcement comes as SoloHealth prepares for a nationwide rollout in 2012 of its next-generation, consumer health screening kiosk, the SoloHealth Station.

ATLANTA — SoloHealth on Friday announced the company was awarded with Intel’s information technology healthcare award, the “Intel Innovation Award,” during the 2011 Health IT Leadership Summit that took place earlier this week in Atlanta.

ATLANTA — An advisory committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that all boys ages 11 and 12 years old get vaccinated against human papillomavirus, the CDC said Tuesday.

The agency said the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted for recommending routine vaccination of boys with three doses of HPV4 to protect against the virus. The vaccination is able to prevent such HPV-related conditions as cancer and prevent the spread of the virus to sexual partners. The recommendation is still subject to the CDC's approval, the agency said.

ATLANTA — More than 1-in-10 Americans ages 12 years and older take antidepressants, and the rate of antidepressant use in the United States among all ages increased 400% between 1988 and 2008, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.

ATLANTA — RedPrairie, a global supply chain and retail technology provider, on Tuesday announced the appointment of former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty to RedPrairie's board of directors.

Pawlenty is the keynote speaker at the 13th Annual Drug Store News Industry Issue Summit on Nov. 29 in New York.

UNION CITY, Ga. — NBA star Carmelo Anthony, now the new corporate spokesman for ethnic hair care company Johnson Products Co., made a rare personal appearance on behalf of JPC’s new men’s grooming line, Ultra Sheen Men, at a Walmart supercenter in Union City, Ga., on Sept. 17.

During the debut of CarmeloLIVE, customers were able to meet Anthony in person and had the opportunity to win prizes and receive free haircuts at the Ultra Sheen Men Grooming Lounge.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — MinuteClinic continues to expand its reach by opening two walk-in medical clinics inside CVS/pharmacy stores in the Savannah, Ga., market.

The clinics, located in Savannah and Richmond Hill, are the first retail medical clinics to open in the region and join 31 other MinuteClinic locations in Georgia situated throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area.

The openings are part of MinuteClinic's goal to open 100 walk-in clinics nationwide this year.

ATLANTA — Coca-Cola has reduced the price of its mini cans.

The new recommended pricing for an 8-pack of Coca-Cola mini cans, which are 7.5 oz. each, will reduce the average price for the package to just under $3. This makes the per can cost comparable with that of the typical price of a 12-oz. Coca-Cola can fridge pack.