Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Winter Storms Disrupt Vaccinations, Leave Millions In Dangerous Cold
The New York Times: Storm Forces Closure Of Vaccination Sites Across U.S.
The winter storm stretching across much of the country is disrupting the distribution of coronavirus vaccines. Clinics have closed and shipments have been stalled as snow and ice grounded flights and made highways dangerously slick. The cancellations are just the latest hurdle in the U.S. vaccine rollout, which has been accelerating despite difficulties, delays and confusion: An average of about 1.7 million people are getting a shot daily, according to a New York Times database. Several states, including New York and California, have expanded eligibility despite a limited supply. (Rojas, 2/16)
NPR: Millions Without Power In Texas, Northern Mexico As Blackouts And Bitter Cold Continue
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced late Monday that the Texas National Guard was being deployed to help get people to heating centers. He said state agencies are sending additional resources and personnel to help local officials clear roadways and to assist essential workers. "The state has also deployed resources to assist Texans without power and to help essential workers continue to carry out their jobs," Abbott said in a statement. "In the meantime, I encourage all Texans to continue to stay off the roads, and conserve energy as state agencies work with private providers to restore power as quickly as possible." (Diaz, 2/16)
The Washington Post: Power Outages Leave Millions Of Texans Without Heat Overnight As Temperatures Plummet
After below-freezing temperatures knocked out power to their Houston apartment, Jael Sanchez and Randy Castillo began to feel like they were living at the end of the world. With no heat and no working stove, the couple and their 11-year-old daughter hunkered down in a makeshift bedroom fort made from nearly a dozen blankets, and did their best to heat cans of soup over an outdoor grill in the snow. One neighbor lit a trash fire; another used a car to ram open the electronic gates that typically control who can enter and exit the complex. “Eight hours into Houston not having power, and we were already having an apocalypse here,” Castillo joked shortly before midnight on Tuesday. (Farzan, 2/16)
Texas, Florida and other states in the storm's path rush to save or distribute vaccines —
ABC News: Texas Officials Scramble To Administer 5,000 COVID Vaccines After Power Loss
Health officials in Texas scrambled to administer over 5,000 vaccine doses before they expired after the harsh winter storm hitting the state knocked out the power of the freezers storing the vaccines. Harris County public health officials said that their facility that stored the Moderna vaccine lost power early Monday morning and a backup generator also failed. The freezers that kept 8,430 vaccine doses at their containment temperature were among the affected equipment, they said. (Pezenik and Pereira, 2/15)
Houston Chronicle: Harris County Hustles To Distribute 8,400 COVID-19 Vaccines After Freezer Loses Power
Harris County public health officials hustled to distribute thousands of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine after the facility storing them lost power Monday when record-cold temperatures strained the power grid, County Judge Lina Hidalgo said. Harris County Public Health distributed the doses to Rice University, the county jail and Houston Methodist, Ben Taub and Lyndon B. Johnson hospitals. The public health department made the decision to offer vaccines to places where there were lots of people already congregated and had the medical staff to distribute the vaccine, Hidalgo said. (Despart and Barned-Smith, 2/15)
Tallahassee Democrat: Winter Storm Closes Airports And Delays Vaccine Deliveries To Florida
A winter storm with icy roads, power outages and dangerous low temperatures has snarled traffic from coast to coast — and will delay shipments of coronavirus vaccines to Florida. Jared Moskowitz, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said the state has been alerted the massive weather system will delay the Monday-Tuesday shipment of vaccines. (Call, 2/15)
Fox43.Com (Hershey, Pa.): Pharmacies Prepare Generators In Case Of Winter Weather-Related Power Outages
In light of the snow and freezing rain expected tonight, pharmacies are preparing contingency plans to keep the COVID-19 vaccine properly frozen in case of power outages. ... Hershey Pharmacy in Derry Township has backup generators it can transport to its three locations. “We don’t have the luxury of being down in a snow storm or a power outage,” said Chadd Blannet, the pharmacy’s director of marketing. “We have centrally located generators that we then dole out to each store so we can power up all of our emergency operation systems and now these freezers, so we’re ready to go without missing a beat.” (2/15)
