Galesburg Reporter

While some states had to delay COVID-19 vaccine distribution because of the recent wave of severe winter weather, Illinois prepared in advance.

A report from 25 News highlighted that Illinois public health officials heeded warnings from the federal Department of Health and Human Services and Operation Warp Speed that winter weather would likely delay shipments of the coronavirus vaccine.

To avoid such delays, Illinois decided to pre-order doses to innoculate eligible residents, News 25 reported.

The adverse weather conditions were expected to impact both the partner and carrier facilities from which the vaccines and ancillary supply kits are distributed by DHHS and Operation Warp Speed, 25 News reported.

"Other areas of the country where distribution hubs are located [experienced] delays due to weather," the department said in a release. " Anticipating this, Illinois proactively ordered vaccine that was pre-stationed in Illinois and would not be subject to delays due to weather in other parts of the country." 

The Illinois Department of Health responded by seeking to ensure that sufficient vaccination supplies were available in the state prior to the worst of the winter storms affecting the supply chain.

In addition to seeking to ensure against any delays, the state Department of Health also continued to work closely with local health officials on the ground, 25 News reported.

The IDPH provided webinars, weather updates and a rapid electronic notification to all vaccine providers to ensure that those at the final destination for vaccines and supplies stayed fully apprised of the situation as it developed.

Delays in vaccination supply deliveries were predicted across the country following the recent spate of severe winter weather, 25 News reported. Illinois worked to ensure that sufficient supplies for ongoing vaccination operations within the state would be pre-stationed within the state’s borders to minimize the effect of those delays.