Winter storm complicates vaccine shipments
Feb. 18—TRIAD — The winter storm that cut through much of North Carolina and other severe weather across the country have delayed shipments of COVID-19 vaccine to the state and postponed vaccinations.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services was notified by the federal government of delays in some shipments and deliveries of COVID-19 vaccine this week due to ice and snowstorms. Both first- and second-dose shipments have been affected, Gov. Roy Cooper said during a briefing Thursday afternoon at the State Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh.
"Delays in vaccine shipment from the federal government are frustrating to us all, but providers are working to get appointments scheduled and we are pushing to get more vaccine to our state," he said.
Locally, the delays have caused vaccination appointments to be postponed or rescheduled in Guilford, Davidson and Randolph counties. For example, the Davidson County Health Department announced Thursday afternoon that all vaccine appointments scheduled for Friday have been postponed to Wednesday, Feb. 24.
State public health advocates are in contact with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and vaccine providers to try to help lessen the effects of the delays, Cooper said.
Moderna vaccines haven't been shipped this week, and only a limited number of Pfizer vaccines have been shipped, the Department of Health and Human Services reported Thursday. Both Pfizer and Moderna have a backlog of orders because of severe winter weather stretching from the Southwest U.S. to the Northeast.
State health and human services officials say they will continue to work with vaccine providers to track shipments so local health departments and other medical professionals can reschedule appointments.
pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul
