covidvaccine

Vaccines Being Delayed in Some Cases Due to Winter Storms Across America

covidvaccine

If you have an appointment over the next couple of days for the COVID vaccine, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is encouraging you to confirm that you still have that appointment or watch closely for communication updates before you hit the road to your vaccination site.

State health officials say they have been notified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that due to ongoing winter storm conditions in Kentucky and Tennessee, vaccine shipments this week continue to be delayed.

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Chief Medical Executive and Chief Deputy for Health, says, “We ask that Michiganders confirm their appointments prior to traveling and to have patience as providers seek to reschedule any appointments.” She adds, “Unfortunately, distribution of the vaccine in this circumstance is simply out of our control. Vaccine providers across the state are working hard to get 70-percent of Michiganders age 16 and older vaccinated with the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible.”

Late yesterday, CDC provided an update about COVID-19 vaccine shipments in light of the ongoing winter storm conditions this week. The challenge is affecting vaccine shipments across the country.

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  • Pfizer vaccine:  Pfizer vaccines were not shipped out on Monday, February 15th due to weather conditions. A limited number of Pfizer vaccine shipments are being processed this week.
  • Moderna vaccine:  Severe weather impacted the McKesson distribution center in Memphis. Every aspect of distribution was impacted including air and ground transport, as well as work force, including personnel for packing and sorting vaccine. Moderna vaccines were not shipped on Monday, February 15th, Tuesday, February 16th or Wednesday, February 17th due to adverse weather conditions. CDC is working with McKesson and their shipping partners to resume operations as soon as the weather abates. They anticipate a significant back log of orders for distribution once operations resume and every effort will be made to catch up as soon as possible while safely delivering the vaccines.

Last week, a number of Moderna vaccine shipments were pulled back to the McKesson depots because they were unable to be delivered due to weather conditions. A small number of those shipments were repacked and sent out on Sunday for delivery on Monday, February 15th.  For the remaining shipments, McKesson will be rescheduling vaccine deliveries once weather conditions allow shipments to resume.

This afternoon, MDHHS said it did not know if McKesson would ship any Moderna orders today for delivery tomorrow. The department will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information is learned. As always, be patient.