Colorado Vaccine Shipments Delayed Amid Winter Storms Across U.S.

Around 133,000 vaccines were expected to arrive in Colorado this week, but the shipments have been delayed due to a winter storm that hit a distribution hub in Tennessee, Colorado public health officials said Tuesday.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is working with health care providers and agencies to make sure appointments and clinics do not need to be canceled, state public health officials said.

In anticipation of the holiday weekend, Colorado requested and received doses Friday that were originally scheduled for this week, officials said.

"This decision helps us have enough on hand to work with providers to move doses around to prevent cancelations," the state public health agency said in a news release. "Colorado, along with all other jurisdictions and federal entities and programs were impacted by the delay because the weather issues were occurring at the hubs.

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"The state expects more information about when we will receive the vaccine as the weather clears and shipping operations resume," the news release read.

Major winter storms have hit 26 states with frigid temperatures and precipitation.

As of Monday, 704,052 people had received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Colorado, the state's portal shows. Around 313,842 people had received their second dose and are inoculated.

>> There are more than 800 vaccine providers in Colorado — find out more information about how to get vaccinated here.