Many California Counties Short On Shots As Severe Weather Across US Squeezes COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Line
(CNN/CBS13) -- Public health agencies across Northern California are reporting COVID-19 vaccine shortages as severe weather across the US has brought the supply line to a halt this week.
Deliveries are being delayed, prompting counties to cancel or reschedule appointments for shots.
"I don't believe that it's anticipated it will have long-reaching outcomes, but certainly for the next week to two weeks, we might expect to see some impact from the weather," Lori Tremmel Freeman, CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, told CNN on Wednesday.
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"The two biggest shippers involved here -- UPS and FedEx -- have major either hubs or warehouses down in the South, in Memphis and in other areas. So, we do expect there could be a blip in delivery of vaccine that is weather related specifically," Freeman added.
Jeff Zients, the White House Covid-19 response coordinator, said Wednesday the federal government was encouraging governors and other partners to extend hours once vaccine sites are able to reopen.
Local officials in California said they were notified that some expected vaccine shipments will not arrive.
Below is a breakdown by county of some of the vaccine distribution problems local agencies are experiencing:
Placer County
Officials say they have been forced to postpone offering any new first-dose vaccine appointments at the county clinic next week. Some second dose appointments have been opened with the vaccines they do have on hand, though.
More appointments are expected to be opened once they get the delayed shipment of the vaccine.
Sacramento County
Officials say they've been informed that vaccine orders are being held until weather conditions permit. They expect some orders to arrive on Friday, but more should come next week.
Sacramento County Public Health expects to be out of vaccines after the last appointment at Cal Expo on Friday. No more first dose appointments have been released for next week yet due to the delay in vaccines, officials say. If their shipment of the Moderna vaccine isn't received by Tuesday, the county says they may have to reschedule some second dose appointments as well.
San Joaquin County
Officials say they are seeing a delay in the Moderna vaccine orders that they expected this week. They are now expecting the shipment to come next week.
Officials say the shipping delay has not impacted their ability to distribute the vaccines to its community partners. However, shortages could be possible if the shipment doesn't arrive next week.
Yolo County
County officials say they have experienced vaccine delays and are hoping to get more doses by early next week. They are working with local hospital providers to try and cover some of the doses and the county says they should have enough supply until mid-next week.
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Yuba-Sutter
Health officials say they did not get this week's shipment of the Moderna vaccine.
Still, the county says they will be able to give out 850 doses of the vaccine during Saturday's planned clinic. Some 380 people who also signed up for the clinic have already been contacted to register for next weekend's clinic, officials say.
Stanislaus County
The county said it has experienced a delay in its Moderna vaccine shipment due to nationwide weather conditions. As a result, vaccine clinics planned for next week have been put on hold and are postponed until further notice.
County officials said those who are awaiting their second dose of the Moderna vaccine will be notified by call or text of a rescheduled vaccination date later in the week.