Capturing The Power, Beauty Of Nature

A pair of deadly winter storms that moved across the U.S. this week has delayed the distribution of 6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, the White House said Friday.

"All 50 states have been impacted," Andy Slavitt, senior adviser on the government’s response to COVID-19, said in a news briefing Friday afternoon. "The 6 million doses represents about three days of delayed shipping, and many states have been able to cover some of this delay with existing inventory."

Slavitt said a combination of factors came into play. Workers who support the vaccine effort were snowed in and unable to get the jobs, road conditions prevented drivers from completing deliveries and more than 2,000 vaccination sites were in areas without power.

"Now, as weather conditions improve, we’re already working to clear this backlog," he said. "1.4 million doses are already in transit today, and we anticipate that all the backlog doses will be delivered within the next week, with most being delivered within the next several days."

Slavitt advised local officials to be ready to run vaccine clinics with longer hours in order to make up for the delays.

Earlier in the week, the CDC said states should expect "widespread delays" in COVID-19 vaccine deliveries in the coming days, due to a series of winter storms bringing snow, ice and frigid temperatures to much of the U.S. this week.

"Due to the severe winter weather currently impacting a large swath of the country, the U.S. government is projecting widespread delays in COVID-19 vaccine shipments and deliveries over the next few days," CDC spokesperson Jasmine Reed told NBC News in an email Tuesday.

"Shipping partners are working to deliver vaccine where possible, contingent on local conditions, but the adverse weather is expected to continue to impact shipments out of the FedEx facility in Memphis, Tennessee, as well as the UPS facility in Louisville, Kentucky, which serve as vaccine shipping hubs for multiple states."

More than 65 commercial flights were canceled Wednesday at Memphis International Airport and 54 on Tuesday, according to FlightAware. Between the two days, 28 flights were canceled at Louisville's Muhammad Ali International.

More than 5,000 commercial flights were canceled nationwide.

(MORE: Latest Winter Storm Forecast)

UPS spokesperson Matthew O'Connor told weather.com on Wednesday that the company is making pickups and deliveries "in areas where conditions allow us to safely operate."

The situation is similar at FedEx.

"Prolonged severe weather is continuing to impact much of the FedEx network in the U.S., including the ability to pick up and deliver in certain cities," Heather Wilson, a spokesperson for FedEx, said in an email to weather.com Wednesday, adding that vaccines have priority status among shipments.

Earlier in the week, officials in Texas and Florida said they had been told vaccine deliveries would be delayed.

The weather is also forcing vaccination sites in several states to temporarily shut down or suspend new appointments. Testing for coronavirus is being affected, too.

"We've delayed the vaccinations because we can't open up the vaccination facilities," Steve Adler, mayor of Austin, Texas, told CBS News. "People can't get around. It's snowed, the roads are icy. They're frozen. It's just not safe for people to be out."

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city was forced to delay making 30,000 to 35,000 vaccination appointments, The Associated Press reported.

In Winston-Salem, North Carolina, officials announced both a vaccination site and testing site would be shut down Thursday.

Vaccine sites and distribution efforts were affected in parts or all of multiple other states, including Missouri, New Hampshire, Alabama and Michigan, according to The New York Times.

(MORE: 73% of the U.S. Covered By Snow, the Most in 17 Years)

At least one public health expert pushed back at the delays.

“Having vaccine centers take snow days is just going to back things up more than they already are,” Dr. Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told the AP. “The virus doesn’t take snow days.”

Some states said they would double down on vaccination efforts once it is safe to reopen.

Oklahoma plans to add extra clinics starting this weekend, if weather allows, State Department of Health spokesperson Hayden Benge told weather.com in an email Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the weather didn't deter one dogged senior citizen in Seattle. Ninety-year-old Fran Goldman walked six miles round trip in several inches of snow Sunday to get her vaccination at a local hospital.

“It was not easy going, it was challenging,” Goldman told the Seattle Times.

She was motivated by the desire to be close to her grandchildren and a newborn great-grandchild.

“I can’t wait to be able to hold them,” Goldman said. “I just want to feel more comfortable.”

For the latest coronavirus information in your county and a full list of important resources to help you make the smartest decisions regarding the disease, check out our dedicated COVID-19 page.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.