Thousands of New Yorkers have had their COVID-19 vaccine appointments rescheduled this week, as Mayor Bill de Blasio revealed that a shipment of the Moderna shot has been delayed, further imperiling the city's goal of administering 1 million shots by the end of January.
At his news briefing, de Blasio could not fully explain what caused the holdup, in which 103,400 shots—54,200 first doses and 49,200 second doses—were expected on Tuesday.
"We've had to tell 23,000 New Yorkers who had an appointment this week that they will not be able to get that appointment for lack of supply," de Blasio said, adding that the delayed appointments were for those scheduled to receive their first doses.
Dr. Dave Chokshi, the commissioner for the city Health Department, offered a vague explanation from the company, saying the slowdown was due to a federal contractor that's partnered with Moderna.
"Our best understanding is that this was purely a shipment issue," Chokshi said. "Whether it was a logistical challenge of making sure there was enough packing material or dry ice for the shipment, we don't have those details. But it appears that it was a logistical issue from the distributor of the vaccine that the federal government partners with."
The delay comes as the city braces for the possibility of emptying its vaccine stock by the end of the week, impeding the city's ability to quickly immunize those with Phase 1 eligibility. So far, according to the city's numbers, 494,596 doses have been administered, with 434,138 taking a first dose and another 60,458 people receiving the full course. This week, de Blasio sought to administer 300,000 doses by the end of this week.
While the city has escalated the opening of vaccination sites, some of which run 24/7, it still lacks enough supply to meet its basic demands, according to de Blasio. City Councilmember Mark Levine tweeted Wednesday that 15 vaccination hubs would close Thursday and Friday because of the shortage.
The mayor called on Governor Andrew Cuomo to release 65,000 vaccines from the state's reserve supply, insisting that the urgency to protect people takes precedence over the drugs "sitting in a refrigerator." Earlier this week, state officials said 65,000 doses will be left over from staff and residents at long-term care facilities who decline the vaccines.
"The freedom to vaccinate now involves the freedom to vaccinate the second doses that are being held in reserve," de Blasio said. "We need them now. Look, we know a lot of vaccine is being produced all over this country, we are very hopeful additional vaccines are gonna come into play soon. But we've folks right now who need help, who need to be protected. We need to save lives now."
De Blasio also wants the newly installed Biden administration to speed up manufacturing under the Defense Production Act, which mandates private companies to prioritize critical orders for national defense.
"I have faith that the weeks ahead we're gonna see a whole different level of production of the vaccine," de Blasio said. "Lord knows we do not want to be canceling more appointments for folks for this week."
A Moderna spokesperson and the governor's office did not immediately return a request for comment. Cuomo is expected to hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday -- it will be streamed live here.
