Vaccine appointments in Polk County could be rescheduled due to shipment delays

Winter storm to blame

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Some coronavirus vaccine appointments in Polk County could be rescheduled as leaders there contend with shipment delays caused by a snowstorm in other parts of the country.

The Florida Department of Health in Polk County made the announcement Tuesday.

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“These delays are unfortunate but unavoidable,” Dr. Joy Jackson, director of the Florida Department of Health in Polk County, said in a news release. “We ask for patience from those who are currently scheduled and those waiting to be scheduled as we work expeditiously to reschedule and rearrange appointments.”

The county expects to receive 7,000 first-dose vaccines and 5,500 second-dose vaccines in the upcoming shipment.

Residents who have upcoming appointments are encouraged to monitor their phones and emails in case their appointment needs to be rescheduled, in which case they will be contacted. Residents who don’t receive a notice should attend their appointment as planned.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management said severe weather across the U.S. caused a shipment of 200,000 Moderna vaccines that were supposed to arrive Tuesday to be delayed. The agency still expects to receive the full allotment of doses this week.

Health care providers have been asked to reschedule appointments if necessary but have been told not to cancel them.

Leaders in Orange, Osceola, Marion and Brevard counties said Tuesday that they aren’t expecting the snowstorm to affect their shipments or planned vaccination events.


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