PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- Severe winter weather in the tri-state area and in much of the country has had an impact on COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Officials say they're trying to plan ahead as delayed shipments could lead to supply issues.
The Philadelphia area has been dealing with snow, sleet and freezing rain. The National Weather Service says, this week, over 100 million Americans were living in a part of the country that was under a winter storm warning, watch or advisory. U.S. officials project "widespread delays" in vaccine shipments and deliveries in the next few days.
"Shipping partners are working to deliver vaccine where possible, contingent on local conditions, but the adverse weather is expected to continue to impact shipments out of the FedEx facility in Memphis, Tenn., as well as the UPS facility in Louisville, Ken., which serve as vaccine shipping hubs for multiple states," CDC spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund wrote in a statement to CNN.
In a briefing on Thursday about Pennsylvania's winter storm response, Lindsay Mauldin, senior advisor at the state's Department of Health, spoke about the disruptions.
"Moderna vaccine was not shipped on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday from the distributor. Pfizer was not shipped on Monday, and limited doses were shipped on both Tuesday and Wednesday."
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, during a briefing on Thursday, acknowledged the supply chain problems and that they are "working with a conservative expectation that our anticipated deliveries will not arrive as scheduled."
He continued: "In this event, we're making preparations to use existing inventory to satisfy current appointments. However, not all sites may be able to do this, and this may result in many appointments needing to be rescheduled."
Some clinics had to close on Thursday, including New Jersey's vaccination mega site in Gloucester County. People who had appointments could reschedule for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Pennsylvania health officials urge those with vaccine appointments to stay in contact with their providers.
