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How inclement weather may impact COVID vaccine distribution

Friday's snowstorm didn't impact vaccine shipments in Iowa, but officials said they're prepared if a future storm does.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Winter weather could slow down the nation's mass vaccination effort, but those handling logistics of the distribution in Iowa said they're trying their best not to let that happen. 

"We've got our planning done, our community is ready, our partners are ready, so we're just waiting," Webster County Health Department Director Kari Prescott said. 

A spokesperson from FedEx said they haven't had reports of shipping delays in the Des Moines area following Friday's snowstorm. 

Should it delay future shipments or cause road delays, county officials said they'll just reschedule the planned vaccinations for a different day. 

"We are going to cancel and reschedule if there's ever any question about inclement weather," Prescott said.

RELATED: Live updates | Hazardous travel expected as snow wraps up for central Iowa

"We would be able to shut them over and move them into our next clinic," said Matt Wyant, Pottawattamie County Planning and Development director.

Once a COVID-19 vaccine vial is opened, it's only usable for a certain amount of time, so counties said they're conscious of how many people are on their schedule and of any cancelations.

"If we were not able to find those and make sure that all of the spots for that specific bottle were filled, then we would have to reschedule all of those that would come out of that bottle if that makes sense because we don't want to waste a dose," Marshall County Emergency Management Coordinator Kimberly Elder said. 

Major storms have the potential to cut power.

Elder said Marshall County has a plan of what to do if that happens. 

"Making sure that our refrigerators and our freezers are on a backup generator, or even a backup of that backup," Elder said. "If that generator doesn't start, making sure that we're able to get the vaccine into some type of transportation and get it to another and making sure that our other refrigerators and freezers are working too. That, I think, weighs on our mind a lot more so that we have a whole lot of vaccine that might be in trouble."

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