Updated: Here’s why Tri-Cities COVID vaccines are delayed

The Tri-Cities fairgrounds drive-thru vaccination clinic will not be giving any shots this week.

Organizers had delayed opening this week until Thursday anticipating that snowy weather across the nation and Presidents Day would delay delivery of 3,000 doses of vaccine.

But Wednesday the Southeast Washington Interagency Team said there were further delays in the shipment.

“Weather is impacting operations at both airports and the point of origin for the vaccines,” it announced. “Due to this shipment delay, the mass vaccination site at the Benton County Fairgrounds will be closed through the weekend.”

Some doses evidently have yet to be shipped from the factory, according to the interagency team.

“The last thing anybody would want is for vaccine to get part way here and then get stuck in a snowstorm,” said Heather Hill, infectious disease supervisor for the Benton Franklin Health District.

Pfizer vaccine has to be kept at ultracold temperatures, which can require the dry ice it is packaged with to be replaced.

The Washington state Department of Health estimated that 90% of the state’s allocation of vaccines for this week would arrive late because of snowstorms in the eastern United States.

No Moderna vaccine shipped this week, it said.

Kadlec Regional Medical Center also canceled a vaccination clinic this week because it did not receive vaccine.

And Prosser Memorial Health said on Thursday the Moderna vaccine it had expected for a Saturday, Feb. 20, clinic had not yet shipped.

The clinic has been rescheduled for next Saturday, Feb. 27, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. People with appointments for this Saturday should show up at the same time next Saturday.

Second doses

This week the Kennewick fairgrounds clinic had planned to give only second doses to people who received the Pfizer vaccine during its opening week at the end of January.

A second “booster” dose of the Pfizer vaccine should be given no sooner than three weeks after the first dose. But Pfizer booster doses are effective for up to six weeks after the first dose, according to the Southeast Washington Interagency Team.

Emails will be sent to those who had an appointment scheduled this week to allow them to reschedule appointments for next week using a private link to the Washington state Department of Health website.

The fairgrounds drive-thru clinic is expected to continue to receive allotments for second doses of Pfizer vaccinations in the coming weeks.

About 500 Moderna vaccines also were administered at the fairgrounds on Jan. 25, but it has a four-week window before second shots should be given.

Both Moderna and Pfizer second doses are expected to be given at the fairgrounds next week.

Second dose appointment openings for those who received the Moderna vaccine at the fairgrounds may be posted as soon as Friday, Feb. 19 at prepmod.doh.wa.gov. More Pfizer appointments second dose appointments also may be posted then.

Click on “Find a Clinic” and on the next page scroll down to look for locations and dates with open appointments.

Appointments also may be scheduled at the fairgrounds by calling the Washington state Department of Health at 800-525-0127 and pressing #.

Those trying to get a first dose of the COVID vaccine may check bit.ly/BFHDvaccinesites, where the Benton Franklin Health District maintains a list of places that may be giving vaccines — primarily pharmacies, hospitals and medical clinics.

This story was originally published February 17, 2021 at 3:03 PM.