As a dangerous winter storm strikes Texas, killing millions of people without electricity and killing at least two people, public health officials are trying to save one of the most important products: coronavirus vaccines.
Large parts of the country have been hit with unprecedented winter conditions, but in Texas, which operates largely on its own electrical network, power outages have forced officials to distribute COVID vaccines as soon as possible.
In anticipation of the storm, Texas had already faced a delayed weekly vaccination from the CDC on Friday, said Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services. Several provinces have announced that vaccination sites will be closed for days amid freezing conditions.
“Nobody wants to endanger the vaccine by delivering it in dangerous conditions,” Van Deusen told BuzzFeed News. “Local providers have postponed vaccination clinics because it is not safe for people to get out over 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 caused officials to scramble to disperse the vaccines hours before it expired.
The building that stored the country’s stockpile of Moderna vaccines lost power early Monday. Then the backup generator failed, and the refrigerator that stored the vaccines did not send a warning that the temperature had risen above the level needed to keep the doses viable, said Lina Hidalgo, a land judge and director for emergency management in Harris County, told BuzzFeed. News.
“By the time we realized what had happened, we had about six hours to distribute the vaccine. There were about 8,300 doses we had to distribute,” Hidalgo said. “We could not ask individuals to drive somewhere because the roads were totally impassable.”
Officials quickly devised a plan to find facilities with a large number of people who had medical staff who could administer the vaccine. The province eventually distributed doses to three hospitals, Harris County Jail – which is nearly capacity and has seen COVID-19 outbreaks among inmates – and Rice University.
“The moment we have vaccines that are going to spoil soon, we can not say, ‘No, we are not going to give it to these people because they are too young’ or whatever it is. We have to get it in our arms, Said Hidalgo. “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 is about making sure that the vaccines do not go to waste. “
Officials later heard from Moderna, who provided guidance on returning the vaccines to storage facilities.
Hidalgo called the rush of officials to distribute the vaccines during the storm a ‘miraculous attempt’.
“Everyone was in a mass scramble,” she said. “Fortunately, not a single dose was lost, not a single vial was wasted.”
COVID-19 tests and vaccinations were also postponed in Austin on Tuesday, still struggling with ice rain. Austin Public Health officials did not respond to a request for comment, but said Monday that the vaccines being stored were not affected by the power outages, the U.S. statesman reported.
But the country-wide delay caused by the weather is hampering Texas’ mass vaccination effort, which has already frustrated many residents. The deployment was initially hampered by data issues that did not reflect actual vaccination rates, and as suitability expanded, many seniors were unable to plan online appointments.
Confusingly cold temperatures are expected to last until Friday in some parts of the state, but Van Deusen said the next shipment of vaccines is expected early on Wednesday.
Hidalgo said the biggest disadvantage of the vaccines is that the spread of the vaccine has been delayed by at least two days.
“It’s a shame,” she said. “It’s time we spread the word.”