BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The federal government informed the state of Massachusetts Thursday that this week’s shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine has been delayed, and will not arrive until Monday.
Bad weather in other parts of the country and staffing shortages are apparently to blame. This has left the Baker Administration scrambling to shift inventory between sites.
Gov. Charlie Baker said he is considering sending the National Guard to Tennessee and Kentucky to pick up and bring back the next batch of doses. At this time, the guard has not been deployed.
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The Baker Administration said it has been in contact with federal partners to see what can be done to avoid the disruption.
The state’s COVID-19 Command Center said it is assessing how the delay may impact appointments that have been scheduled.
According to Kate Reilly, Communications Director for the COVID-19 Response Command Center, Governor Baker and the Command Center have been in constant communication with federal officials to rush vaccine shipments to Massachusetts.
"Today, 135,025 [doses] arrived to the Commonwealth and as a result, providers will not have to cancel appointments," Reilly said. "The Administration appreciates the efforts made to get this critical shipment here and is not anticipating additional delays from the federal government for vaccine shipments at this time. Going forward, Governor Baker urges the federal government to provide larger shipments and more lead time for the state, so more eligible residents can get their shots as quickly and safely as possible."
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasWBZ) reports
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