CT Closely Watching Potential Vaccine Shipment Delays

CONNECTICUT — Connecticut managed to dodge the brunt of severe winter weather that is plaguing much of the country in the past week, but it could still be affected by challenges moving coronavirus vaccine doses.

The state Department of Public Health is helping coordinate the movement of vaccine doses around the state to avoid appointment cancellations, said state Chief Operating Officer Josh Geballe.

“Our team at DPH has been tracking all of our shipments to all of our providers in Connecticut incredibly closely over the last several days,” said state Chief Operating Officer Josh Geballe during a news conference. “For the deliveries we’re expecting this week we’ve gotten most of them on the ground in Connecticut, so that’s great news.”

More than 90,000 of the anticipated 100,000 vaccine doses for the week have been delivered as of Thursday afternoon.

However, severe winter weather is challenging both Moderna and Pfizer vaccine shipments in different ways. McKesson Corp. which helps with Moderna vaccine dose shipments is having weather-related challenges at its distribution plant in Louisville, Ky. , Geballe said.

"We're watching it very carefully, we are concerned, both because of the McKesson distribution site as well as our Pfizer doses [which] come out of Michigan, which is also dealing with a lot of severe weather," he said.

The storms are causing some concern, but so far there are no confirmed delays for next week’s shipments, he said.