LANSING - According to a news release by the State Emergency Operations Center, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has been notified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that COVID-19 vaccine shipments will continue to be delayed this week due to ongoing winter storm conditions in Kentucky and Tennessee.

On Feb. 17, the CDC provided an update about COVID-19 vaccine shipments in light of the ongoing winter storm conditions this week.

The Pfizer vaccines were not shipped out on Monday, Feb. 15 due to weather conditions and only a limited number of Pfizer vaccine shipments are being processed this week.

Due to severe weather conditions in Memphis, Tennessee, the McKesson distribution center was greatly impacted, including air and ground transportation, as well as the personnel for packing and sorting the vaccine.

Because of this, Moderna vaccines were not shipped on Monday, Feb. 15, Tuesday, Feb. 16 or Wednesday, Feb. 17, but the CDC is working with the distribution center and its shipping partners to resume operations as soon as the weather lessens.

Once operations resume, the distribution center anticipates a significant pile up of orders for distribution, but every effort will be made to catch up as soon as possible while safely delivering the vaccines.

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical executive and chief deputy for health, asks that people living in Michigan confirm their vaccine appointments before travelling anywhere and to have patience as many providers try to reschedule any appointments.

“Unfortunately, distribution of the vaccine in this circumstance is simply out of our control,” Khaldun said. “Vaccine providers across the state are working hard to get 70% of Michiganders age 16 and older vaccinated with the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible.”

Last week, a number of Moderna vaccine shipments were pulled back to the McKesson distribution center because they were unable to be delivered due to weather conditions.

A small number of these shipments were repackaged and sent out on Sunday, Feb. 14 for delivery on Monday, Feb. 15.

For the remaining shipments, the distribution center will be rescheduling vaccine deliveries once better weather conditions allow shipments to resume.