Kaiser Permanente will postpone the planned COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Front Range this weekend after meteorologists have warned that up to 50 inches of snow can cover Denver.
The health care system hoped to vaccinate 10,000 people at clinics on Saturday and Sunday, but said it was now in the process of rescheduling those appointments for next week.
Kaiser’s medical offices are still scheduled to open during normal business hours, although the provider said on 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 the COVID-19 vaccination clinics this weekend,” said Kaiser in a statement.
The National Weather Service in Boulder issued a winter storm alert that will run from Friday night through Sunday night, forecasting heavy snow – 30 to 20 inches of possible buildup in Denver – and gust winds of up to 35 mph.
Kaiser is the first provider to cancel vaccination this weekend.
UCHealth has not yet rescheduled the appointments, but will notify people if there are changes to the appointments. The health system has no massive outdoor clinics planned for this weekend, although it does offer consultations seven days a week, said spokeswoman Paula Freund.
Impending snow is not expected to affect the overall supply of the state’s COVID-19 vaccine.
Colorado receives vaccine shipments between Monday and Wednesday every week, and the next round of deliveries is not expected until next Monday, said Gabi Johnston, a spokesman for the state’s Department of Public Health and Environment.
The state has already received 202,230 total doses of the vaccine from the three vaccine manufacturers: Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Another 50,740 doses were expected Wednesday from Pfizer and Moderna.