Winter Storm Delays Vaccine Shipments To PA: Latest Updates

PENNSYLVANIA — While still in the midst of resolving delays surrounding the Moderna mixup announced earlier this week, Pennsylvania saw another wrench thrown into its COVID-19 vaccination efforts this week: the winter weather.

Treacherous road conditions in Pennsylvania, as well as other parts of the country, have caused delays in the direct shipments of both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines to providers, the state Department of Health said on Friday.

It is not yet clear exactly which vaccine providers have been impacted, or how many scheduled appointments may be delayed. It's also unknown if this will prevent some individuals from receiving their second doses within the CDC-recommended 42-day timeframe.

Providers will contact individuals directly if their appointment must be rescheduled, officials said.

"There will be a significant backlog of orders for distribution as the federal government and the distributors work to begin shipping again," the Department of Health said in a statement. "The federal government is working to catch up as efficiently as possible."

Specifically, no Moderna shipments were shipped out to the state on Monday through Wednesday of this week, and no Pfizer vaccine was shipped on Monday, either. Only a limited amount of the Pfizer vaccine was shipped on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The CDC is working with the federal government to expedite shipments.

But the weather could continue to be a factor. After another round of snow and ice hit much of the northeast on Thursday, the storm lingered on into Friday, with snow and mixed precipitation slated to fall throughout much of the day in parts of the state. While the weekend forecast looks clear, there's a chance for more snow next Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

RELATED: More Snow Expected Friday In Eastern PA: See Latest Forecast

The state was already facing delays for some 30,000 to 60,000 second-dose vaccine appointments. This was due to a larger number of Moderna doses, which were supposed to be set aside for the second shots, being mistakenly given out as first doses.

"We know that the federal government is working with manufacturers and we know that local vaccine providers will be ready when the shipments do get through," Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said in a statement Friday. "Unfortunately, weather delays will impact the ability to get vaccine into arms and providers are working to reschedule appointments as necessary.”

The state has administered 1,387,443 partial vaccinations and 479,797 full vaccinations as of Friday morning. They currently rank 42nd overall in the nation in vaccine distribution efficiency at 73 percent, according to a New York Times analysis.