Vaccine clinics paused after shipments are delayed

Winter storms in Texas and elsewhere have slowed deliveries

Yolo County is among many California counties that have suspended COVID-19 vaccination appointments due to winter storms elsewhere in the country that hampered the shipment of doses.

The county has delayed announcing any vaccine clinics for next week until vaccine shipments arrive, according to an update posted to the county’s vaccine dashboard.

“We apologize for this interruption in our COVID vaccine distribution and our thoughts go out to the millions of people without power or provisions due to the winter storms,” the update stated. “As soon as deliveries come in, the county will be scheduling clinics and notifying the public through the county’s website, partners and social media accounts.”

Those planning to attend clinics this Friday and Saturday will still be able to, due to “assistance from local healthcare providers,” the update noted.

The county’s predicament is similar to those seen throughout the state. Orange County shut its large-scale vaccination site at Disneyland through Monday

after a shipment of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses didn’t arrive this week, county officials said. In Fresno County, Community Health Division Manager Joe Prado said officials were working with medical providers to try to avoid appointment cancellations after 7,800 Moderna doses failed to arrive.

In Los Angeles, city officials postponed vaccine appointments for about 12,500 people Friday after harsh weather conditions tied up a shipment of 26,000 doses in Kentucky and one with 37,000 doses in Tennessee. Once the doses arrive, patients will be automatically scheduled for a new appointment and those awaiting second doses will be given first priority, officials said.

California has been ramping up vaccine efforts, giving 6.7 million shots to date by opening large scale centers at places such as Dodger Stadium and running mobile clinics to vaccinate farmworkers in rural areas, including a pilot clinic held Wednesday in Esparto at which nearly 300 farmworkers were vaccinated.

Health officials have repeatedly said their push to inoculate more people is limited by vaccine supplies as there aren’t enough doses from the federal government to meet overwhelming demand in the state of nearly 40 million people.

The shortage has only worsened after an icy blast across much of the country snarled vaccine deliveries in states spanning from New York to Nevada. Delays are expected to continue for days.

The delay comes just days after the county announced it would began vaccinating everyone in Phase 1B, tier one, including: those who work in education, police officers, and food and agriculture workers. Previously, only those 65 and older were eligible.

Nearly 40,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been distributed in Yolo County through healthcare providers, pharmacies and county clinics, according to state data updated Friday. The county itself has provided 9,391 first doses and 6,190 second doses as of Monday — the last time the county’s dashboard was updated.

For more information on vaccines in Yolo County, visit yolocounty.org/coronavirus-vaccine or call Yolo 211.