Shipping Delay Changes COVID Vaccination Schedule In Essex County

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A round of first-dose appointments originally set for Saturday at Essex County’s five COVID-19 vaccination sites have been rescheduled, officials say.

On Friday, state officials said that this week's vaccine delivery didn’t make it to New Jersey on time, as planes at major hubs for both FedEx and UPS have been grounded due to the weather. Read More: COVID-19 Vaccine Shipment To NJ Delayed, Gov. Murphy Confirms

"Not all sites have the inventory on-hand to be able to satisfy current appointments, and this will result in many appointments needing to be rescheduled," Gov. Phil Murphy said.

The supply chain disruption caused a trickle-down effect in Essex County, officials said.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. released a statement about the issue on Friday:

“Appointments for the first vaccination dose scheduled on Saturday, February 20 are canceled because Essex County has not received our shipment of vaccines from the federal government. Your appointment will be rescheduled to a date between February 22 and 28. You will not have to re-register. We will let you know specifics once our vaccine supply is received. If you have any questions, email EssexCOVID19@admin.essexcountynj.org.”

Essex County is running five vaccination sites in Livingston, Newark, West Caldwell and West Orange. Each location only serves residents of certain towns. However, people who live in Newark can go to any of the sites.

READ MORE >> Essex County Coronavirus Vaccine Update: How, Where To Get A Shot

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