Historic winter storm delays Covid vaccine shipments across the U.S.

Shipments of Covid-19 vaccine doses had been delayed this week throughout a number of states as a result of historic winter storms that swept throughout the nation, state and federal officers stated.

Almost all the doses that had been attributable to arrive in New York state final weekend have been delayed, Gov. Andrew Cuomo stated late Thursday.

“Each dose that ought to have shipped on Monday was held again, and solely a restricted variety of Pfizer vaccines left transport amenities on Tuesday and Wednesday,” Cuomo stated, including that the state is working with suppliers to “cut back the variety of appointments that have to be rescheduled.”

It is not simply New York. Samantha Bequer, a spokeswoman for the Florida Division of Emergency Administration, stated greater than 200,000 doses anticipated this week had not arrived.

“The state remains to be anticipating to obtain the complete allocation of vaccines for Week 10,” Bequer stated in an announcement. “Yesterday, the state was notified that federal deliveries of Moderna vaccine are nonetheless delayed by extreme climate. At the moment, the state has not been offered a brand new timeline on when to anticipate the delayed shipments.”

Bequer stated the state is working with suppliers and advising them to reschedule, however not cancel, vaccine appointments affected by the setbacks.

In Colorado, state officers stated earlier this week {that a} cargo of greater than 130,000 doses was delayed as a result of storm. They stated the storm affected a vaccine distribution hub in Tennessee that pushed again shipments to a number of states.

The North Carolina Division of Well being and Human Companies additionally stated Thursday it was notified by the federal authorities of continued delays in some shipments and deliveries this week attributable to extreme climate.

The Virginia Division of Well being stated Thursday its anticipated supply of greater than 106,000 pictures will seemingly be delayed “attributable to distribution channels within the Midwest and elsewhere which are presently shut down.”

Andy Slavitt, the White Home senior advisor for Covid response, confirmed Friday that there is now a backlog of about 6 million doses affecting all 50 states. “Many states” have been in a position to make up for the missed deliveries with current stock, he stated at a White Home Covid-19 briefing.

Well being officers in California, Louisiana and Georgia have confirmed holdups to their shipments as effectively.

The Georgia Division of Public Well being stated earlier this week that Pfizer and Moderna had been holding again the shipments as a result of climate, which was “considerably impacting shipments of COVID-19 vaccine to Georgia.”

White Home officers have acknowledged the setbacks. Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci warned on Thursday that the storm poses a big downside to vaccine distribution.

“Nicely, clearly it is a problem. It has been slowed down in some locations going to a grinding halt,” Fauci advised MSNBC. “We’re simply going to must make up for it as quickly because the climate lifts a bit, the ice melts and we are able to get the vans out and the folks out.”

Slavitt told CNN on Thursday night that officers are should “work double time subsequent week, presuming the climate improves.” He added, nevertheless, that “there hasn’t been a single vaccine that is spoiled.”

“We will preserve these vaccines protected and sound, then get them out to folks and catch up simply as quickly because the climate permits,” he stated.