TAMPA, Fla — Vaccines heading to Florida have been delayed due to the massive weather system sweeping parts of the U.S., according to Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz.
The state says it received the alert Monday as an intense winter storm pummels tens of millions of people from Texas to New Jersey with ice and snow.
"Weather conditions across the United States are impacting the shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine to Florida. @FLSERT and @HealthyFla are providing regular updates to our partners to ensure the vaccine is distributed as efficiently as possible as it arrives,' Gov. DeSantis wrote on Twitter.
The state was originally hopeful its Moderna shipment would arrive by Feb. 19, the latest, but it appears severe weather will continue to keep doses from arriving in Florida.
"The state has been notified that federal deliveries of Moderna vaccine are still delayed by severe weather," the Division of Emergency Management wrote on Twitter. "The state is working closely with providers to reschedule appointments as needed & we will continue to provide updates as they are received."
According to the Florida Department of Health's latest report, 1,284,052 people across the state's 67 counties have been given the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Another 1,103,298 people have received the second dose, meaning they are considered fully immunized.
The CDC reports that 4,514,300 vaccine doses have been distributed to the Sunshine State.
It is unclear at this time what impact the delayed shipment will carry for the state, though appointments at pharmacies and drive-thrus in the Tampa Bay area continue to fill up fast.
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