Kaiser Permanente will postpone COVID-19 vaccination clinics planned across the Front Range this weekend after meteorologists warn that up to 20 inches of snow could blanket Denver.
The health system had expected to vaccinate 10,000 people at clinics on Saturday and Sunday, but said it is now is in the process of rescheduling those appointments for next week.
Kaiser’s medical offices still are scheduled to open for normal business hours, although the provider said Wednesday that it is “closely monitoring the situation and will adjust as necessary.”
“To ensure the safety of our patients and the communities we serve, we have decided to postpone this weekend’s COVID-19 vaccination clinics,” Kaiser said in a statement.
The National Weather Service in Boulder issued a winter storm watch that will run from late Friday through late Sunday night, predicting heavy snow — 12 to 20 inches of accumulation possible in Denver — and winds gusting as high as 35 mph.
Centura Health also moved vaccine appointments scheduled for this weekend to Thursday and Friday. People who planned to get their COVID-19 shots at the health system’s mass vaccination clinic on Saturday will now get them on March 16, said spokesman Kevin Massey.
On Thursday, UCHealth announced it will also close its vaccination clinics in anticipation of the winter storm. About 2,500 people will have their appointments moved to next week.
“Patients with appointments this weekend do not need to change their appointments themselves – we will call or send messages to everyone to help them reschedule,” the health system said in a statement.
Delaying the shots for a week for people getting their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna will not affect the effectiveness of the vaccines, according to UCHealth.
The impending snow is not expected to affect the state’s overall supply of COVID-19 vaccine.
Colorado receives shipments of the shots between Monday and Wednesday each week, and the next round of deliveries is not expected until this coming Monday, said Gabi Johnston, a spokesperson for the state Department of Public Health and Environment.
The state already has received 202, 230 total doses of vaccine from the three manufacturers of the shots: Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Another 50,740 doses were expected Wednesday from Pfizer and Moderna.
