Cities and states delay Covid-19 vaccine distribution because of winter storms

Vaccine distribution slowed in many areas because of winter storms engulfing much of the country Monday and Tuesday. Here are the localities and states that have delayed or postponed distribution so far:

Alabama

Some county health departments closed their vaccination clinics Tuesday, the Alabama Department of Public Health said.

Colorado

Colorado is among the states that had to delay vaccinations because of the storm’s impact on a Tennessee distribution hub, officials said.

“Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is working with Colorado’s health care providers and local public health agencies across the state to make adjustments over the coming days to make sure appointments and clinics do not need to be canceled,” a news release from the state read.

Ahead of the Presidents Day weekend, Colorado requested and received doses on Friday that had been scheduled for this week, but the state’s allocation of 133,000 vaccines expected to arrive Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be impacted.

“This decision helps us have enough on hand to work with providers to move doses around to prevent cancellations,” the press release said.

Florida

Approximately 2,000 people in Miami-Dade County will not receive their scheduled second dose due to weather-related supply delays, according to Rachel Johnson, mayor’s office communications director.

The second doses of the Pfizer vaccine that were scheduled to be administered on Thursday have not arrived, Johnson tells CNN.

All those affected have been notified about the delay, Johnson said, and have been told that as soon as the vaccine arrives, their appointment will be rescheduled.

Illinois

In Chicago, all city-run vaccine sites were closed Tuesday because of the winter weather and appointments there will be rescheduled, city officials said.

The Cook County health system, which includes the Chicago suburbs, told CNN all of its vaccination sites would be closed, except for three that the system operates within the city limits.

The postponements came after Covid-19 shipments coming into the area were delayed when more than a foot of snow fell between Sunday evening and Tuesday morning, the Chicago Department of Public Health said.

In advance of winter weather and adverse road conditions, Illinois ordered the Covid-19 vaccine to be delivered to its “Strategic National Stockpile Receipt, Store, and Stage site,” according to a state news release.

The state also said it has been informed by the federal government it should anticipate vaccine delivery delays this week because of the winter storms, the news release said.

Kentucky

The weather will cause some vaccination delays in the state, Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday evening. He said he hopes the state will be able to make up for any postponements next week, after the last of the weather dissipates.

In Louisville, the LouVax vaccination site at Broadbent Arena was to be closed Tuesday, the city’s mayor said.

Mississippi

All Mississippi State Department of Health drive-thru vaccination sites were to be closed Tuesday, with the exception of the Coast Coliseum site in Harrison County, the department said.

“Canceled appointments at all other sites will automatically be rescheduled for the same time on an alternate day,” the department tweeted.

Missouri

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said Monday the state canceled all of its mass vaccination events scheduled for Monday through Friday because of the extreme winter weather.

“Missouri is experiencing severe winter weather that makes driving dangerous and threatens the health and safety of anyone exposed to the cold. These conditions will also likely delay some vaccine shipments,” Parson said. “We want to protect the safety of everyone involved in the mass vaccination events, from the patients being vaccinated to the volunteers who generously support these events.”

Nevada

Nevada Health Response tweeted Monday the state may experience a delay in deliveries this week because of the powerful storms.

The state received word the disruption could occur and it is working with the health districts and pharmacies that may be affected.

“We ask Nevadans to continue to be patient at this time,” the tweet read.

Ohio

Gov. Mike DeWine announced Tuesday that Covid-19 vaccine shipments being delivered to providers directly from Pfizer and Moderna could be delayed by one to two days because of severe weather.

Smaller shipments from the Ohio Department of Health’s Receipt, Store and Stage (RSS) Warehouse are being delivered on a two-hour delay, DeWine said.

Some vaccine providers have canceled appointments because of snow emergencies, DeWine said, but many are continuing to vaccinate. “So we’re continuing to monitor the weather and the shipments for the rest of the week, but we expect, as we’ve seen, a slowdown in the shipments,” he said.

Oklahoma

Some vaccination sites will have adjusted hours or be closed temporarily throughout the week to “ensure public safety is a priority consideration,” the Oklahoma State Department of Health said.

The department said it will provide updates on its website as information comes in from regional health departments.

Tennessee

Sites run by several county health departments were closed Tuesday, the state department of health said. People who had appointments will be contacted, and appointments will be rescheduled, the department said on Twitter.

Texas

Corpus Christi

No first-dose vaccines are being shipped to Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District Monday and Tuesday because of winter weather, according to a news release from the city.

The soonest a new shipment may come will be Wednesday, according to the news release.

Dallas County

The county said it has closed its Fair Park vaccination site through Wednesday.

Harris County

The winter storm cut power to the Harris County Public Health building around 2 a.m. Monday and the backup generator also failed, putting more than 8,400 coronavirus vaccines in jeopardy of spoiling, Harris County Judge Lena Hidalgo said Monday afternoon.

Officials quickly put a plan together to allocate and salvage the vaccines, Hidalgo said.

Harris County officials settled on Houston’s Ben Taub, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Houston Methodist Hospitals, as well as Rice University and the Harris County Jail as the locations to receive the vaccine overnight, Hidalgo said.

San Antonio

The city postponed vaccine appointments scheduled to take place Tuesday at the Alamodome until Saturday because of the storm, according to a news release from the city.

This was the second straight day San Antonio postponed vaccinations at the venue. Over the weekend, the city made the decision to move Monday’s appointments to Friday.