Mid-Missouri health leaders hope to receive vaccine doses delayed by winter weather this week
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Winter weather has caused nationwide delays in vaccine shipments, but health leaders in Columbia are hoping to get back on track.
Winter weather delayed the delivery of 6 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine nationwide. CNN reports the Biden administration has partially caught up on its delayed vaccine shipments, with about 2 million doses of the delayed doses being delivered.
The Columbia/Boone County Health Department reported that the city did not receive any of its scheduled vaccine doses because of the weather.
Assistant Director Scott Clardy said MU Health was supposed to get 4,000 doses of the vaccine, and the health department was supposed to get 300 doses. Neither received those doses.
"We are expecting those doses this coming week along with the doses we ordered for this coming week, so we are thinking we could have some pretty big clinics this week," Clardy said. "But have yet to receive notification that those have been shipped."
Clardy said they have not scheduled appointments for those doses, because there is still uncertainty around when the doses will come.
"We're not counting our vaccine until we have it in hand." Clardy said. "We can set up a time for a clinic to make sure we have staff scheduled, but based on what happened this past week, we aren't going to make any appointments until we have vaccine in hand."
He said the doses will continue to go to those who qualify for the vaccine through the state's plan. Names are pulled from a registry list compiled by the department, MU Health and Boone Hospital.
Down in Jefferson City, Capitol Region Medical Center is expecting some delays to their doses because of the weather.
Director of Pharmacy Services Denny Hamilton said they weren't expecting any doses last week. Now their shipment for this week may be delayed as the companies try to get through the backlog of delayed shipments.
He said they received communication from officials saying Pfizer plans to have all of its backlogged shipments out by the end of Monday. Moderna hopes to have all of its out by the end of Wednesday.
Hamilton said CRCM was expecting the Moderna vaccine, which may delay a vaccine clinic scheduled for Friday if its order doesn't come in time.
"If we don't get the vaccine by Wednesday or Thursday, we'll have to have those discussions about what we want to do about contacting those folks, and potentially rescheduling for sometime early next week," Hamilton said.
