Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Texas Officials Scrambled To Administer COVID Vaccines Before They Expired During A Winter Storm

Texas Officials Scrambled To Administer COVID Vaccines Before They Expired During A Winter Storm

"We've got to get them into arms."

As a dangerous winter storm pummels Texas, leaving millions without electricity and at least 10 people dead, public health officials are scrambling to save one of the most essential commodities: coronavirus vaccines.

Huge swathes of the country have been hit with unprecedented winter conditions, but in Texas, which largely runs on its own electrical grid, power outages have pushed officials to distribute soon-to-expire COVID vaccines as quickly as possible.

Texas was already facing a delayed weekly shipment of vaccines from the CDC on Friday in anticipation of the storm, said Chris Van Deusen, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services. Several counties announced that vaccination sites would be closed for days amid the freezing conditions.

"No one wants to put vaccine at risk by attempting to deliver it in dangerous conditions," Van Deusen told BuzzFeed News. "Local providers have postponed vaccine clinics because it is not safe for people to be out across much of Texas."

In Harris County, the most populous in the state and one of the hardest hit by the storm, a series of failed power events left officials scrambling to distribute those vaccines just hours before they expired.

The building that stored the county's supply of Moderna vaccines lost power early Monday. Then, its backup generator failed, and the refrigerator storing the vaccines did not send out a warning that its temperature had risen above the level required to keep the doses viable, Lina Hidalgo, a county judge and emergency management director for Harris County, told BuzzFeed News.

"By the time we realized what had happened, we had about six hours or so to get the vaccine distributed. There were around 8,300 doses that we needed to distribute," Hidalgo said. "We could not ask individuals to drive anywhere because the roads were totally impassable."

Officials quickly came up with a plan to find facilities with a large number of people that had medical personnel who could administer the vaccine. The county ended up distributing doses to three hospitals, the Harris County Jail — which is nearing capacity and has seen COVID-19 outbreaks among detainees — and Rice University.

"The moment we have vaccines that are about to spoil, we can't say, 'No we’re not going to give it to these folks because they’re too young' or whatever it is. We've got to get them into arms," Hidalgo said. "Normally, when we have the benefit of time and planning we prioritize the older population, we make specific arrangements for vulnerable populations. But in this situation, it’s about making sure that those vaccines do not go to waste."

Officials later heard back from Moderna, which gave guidance on returning the vaccines to storage facilities.

A medical staff member prepares to administer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the United Memorial Medical Center on Dec. 21, 2020, in Houston.


Hidalgo called county officials' rush to distribute the vaccines during the storm a "miraculous effort."

"Everybody was in a mass scramble," she said. "Luckily, not a single dose was lost, not a single vial was wasted."

COVID-19 testing and vaccination appointments on Tuesday were similarly postponed in Austin, which continues to grapple with freezing rain. Austin Public Health officials did not respond to a request for comment, but on Monday said the vaccines in storage would not be affected by the power outages, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

But the statewide delay caused by the weather further hampers Texas's mass vaccination effort, which many residents are already frustrated with. The rollout was first hobbled by data issues that did not reflect actual vaccination rates, and as eligibility expanded, many elderly people found themselves ill-equipped to schedule appointments online.

Treacherously cold temperatures are expected to last until Friday in some parts of the state, but Van Deusen said the next shipment of vaccines was expected on Wednesday at the earliest.

Hidalgo said the biggest downside regarding the vaccines is that the storm will have delayed vaccine distribution by at least two days.

"That’s unfortunate," she said. "That’s time that we would have been distributing them."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×