Berrien County Health Department postpones COVID-19 vaccine appointments Tuesday due to nationwide shipment delays

Published 4:49 pm Monday, February 22, 2021

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BERRIEN COUNTY – The Berrien County Health Department has been notified by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services that due to last week’s winter storms across the United States, COVID-19 vaccine shipments to local health departments this week have been delayed.
Due to these delays, the BCHD must postpone appointments previously scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 23 at a clinic located at the health department’s Benton Harbor office, at 2149 E. Napier Avenue. Those who had appointments for Tuesday, Feb. 23, have been rescheduled to receive their vaccine dose on Monday, March 1 at the same time of their previously scheduled appointment.
Everyone who had an appointment on Feb. 23 was to receive a second dose of the Moderna vaccine. All of these second dose appointments are being rescheduled for Monday, March 1 at the same time as their previously scheduled appointment at the Health Department’s Benton Harbor office. There are limited options available for alternative appointments if Monday will not be possible. Clients are strongly encouraged to come for their second dose on that date.
At this time, first dose COVID-19 vaccine appointments scheduled at senior centers on Wednesday and Thursday of this week are not impacted. If there are other unforeseen impacts to upcoming clinics, BCHD will notify clients and reschedule appointments. Questions may be directed to the BCHD COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-815-5485 or email at publichealth@bchdmi.org.
“No one should worry that they will not be guaranteed their second dose of the vaccine due to this clinic postponement,” said Berrien County Health Officer Nicki Britten. “Vaccine doses are secure for those who had an appointment, albeit slightly delayed by unfortunate winter storms experienced by much of the county within the last week.”
Research from the World Health Organization indicates that the Moderna vaccine has been shown to have an efficacy of approximately 92 percent in protecting against COVID-19 starting 14 days after the first dose. While the second dose of the vaccine should be administered as close to the recommended 28-day interval as possible, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidance that the second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine may be administered up to 6 weeks, or 42 days, after the first dose.