The Maryland Department of Health has shared information from the federal Centers for Disease Control, regarding vaccine shipments and the effect of inclement weather.

Update: Weather Impacts on COVID-19 Vaccine Shipments This Week

The CDC has provided the following updates on weather-related delays to vaccine shipments:

Moderna vaccine: Moderna vaccines were not shipped on Monday February 15 or Tuesday February 16, and will most likely not ship today, February 17, due to adverse weather conditions. We are working with McKesson and our shipping partners to resume operations as soon as the weather abates. We anticipate a significant back log of orders for distribution once operations resume and every effort will be made to catch up as soon as possible while safely delivering the vaccines.

• Last week, a number of Moderna vaccine shipments were pulled back to the McKesson depots because they were unable to be delivered due to weather conditions. A small number of these shipments were repacked and sent out on Sunday for delivery on Monday, February 15. For the remaining shipments, McKesson will be reaching out to awardees to reschedule vaccine deliveries once weather conditions allow shipment to resume.

Pfizer vaccine: Pfizer vaccines were not shipped out on Monday, February 15 due to weather conditions.  A limited number of Pfizer vaccine shipments were processed Tuesday February 16 and a similar plan is in effect for today, February 17.

We appreciate your patience as we continue to monitor weather conditions and consult with our industry partners about the best approach for ensuring successful COVID-19 vaccine shipments. There is an expectation that delays related to this historic weather event will continue through this week. We will continue to update you regarding adverse weather conditions as well as how the resumption of shipping will proceed as weather permits.

The Maryland Department of Health will provide updates on this situation as more information becomes available.