Wintry weather across the country has delayed shipments of COVID-19 vaccines, prompting some providers to reschedule appointments and leaving others wondering when the doses will arrive.
Winter storms glazed Northeast Pennsylvania’s streets with ice Monday night and left snow and frigid temperatures across the Midwest. Meanwhile, the National Weather Service is forecasting another storm expected to bring more heavy snow to the region on Thursday.
All that inclement weather is starting to take a toll on the COVID-19 vaccination supply chain.
“Due to the severe winter weather that has impacted much of the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has notified several states, including Pennsylvania, that expected COVID vaccine shipments for this week will be delayed, ” Geisinger spokesman Matt Mattei said.
As a result, the health system announced Tuesday it is rescheduling some vaccination appointments.
First-dose vaccine appointments scheduled for Wednesday at Geisinger CenterPoint, Geisinger Lewistown Hospital and Geisinger Health Plan Building in Danville were rescheduled for Feb. 28.
All second-dose vaccine appointments scheduled for Friday at Geisinger CenterPoint, Geisinger Lewistown, Geisinger Jersey Shore and Geisinger Health Plan Building in Danville were rescheduled for Feb. 21.
Geisinger was contacting affected people to reschedule their appointments.
Other providers were still waiting to learn if they will be able to move forward with vaccine clinics set up for later in the week.
At Cook’s Pharmacy in Kingston, the supply normally arrives midweek but the staff was informed Monday of a potential delay, owner James Gaudino said. The staff was waiting to see if the doses would come in, allowing clinics scheduled for Friday and Sunday to proceed.
“We’re still hoping,” he said. “The weather kind of cleared up.”
Harrold’s Pharmacy owner Bruce Lefkowitz said he is expecting a shipment of 100 second-dose supplies for a clinic being held Friday, but that it wasn’t clear Tuesday whether they would arrive on time.
“We’re crossing our fingers and hoping the meteorologists are going to be wrong,” Lefkowitz said.
If the doses are delayed, the pharmacy will have to reschedule the clinic for sometime early next week — there’s a several-day window in which the second dose must be administered, he said. That may require doubling up the staff, but Lefkowitz said he would do what had to be done to ensure the doses are administered.
“Whatever it takes,” he said.
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