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Vaccine sites prepare for winter weather conditions

Some sites have already canceled appointments for Thursday and rescheduled. Others are waiting until Thursday morning to make a decision.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — If you were scheduled to get your vaccine Thursday, you might have to wait just a little bit longer due to winter weather.

The LouVax vaccine site at Broadbent Arena closed at 3 p.m. Wednesday and will remain closed Thursday. All appointments after 3 p.m. Wednesday were rescheduled to another day this week or next week.

Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness said they have prepared for all kinds of situations — including a power outage. The LouVax site has a generator that can power the entire arena. LMPHW also has a backup to the backup plan to keep the vaccines in the cold temperatures necessary to keep them effective.

"If worst comes to worst, we would take the coolers out and put them in a car and just plug them into a cigarette lighter and the coolers would continue to operate at that level of power,” said Paul Kern, Public Health Preparedness Administrator.

That’s how mobile vaccine clinics are powered, and vaccines stay cold.

The Oldham County Health Department is also prepared for a loss of power.

“Ever since 9/11, the bioterrorism and public health preparedness money has been made available to help us plan,” Oldham County Health Department Director Matt Rhodes said. “So, all local health departments have a continuity of operations and one of those things that includes is a backup generator.”

Rhodes said the health department has not wasted a single vaccine, and none will expire or go to waste if they have to reschedule appointments.

Over at Broadbent Arena, snowy and icy conditions near where cars enter the arena are a concern.

“We’ve actually had a little bit of experience with that the last couple of weeks with some very, very cold weather we’ve had and some precipitation,” Kern said.

There’s a solution for that too — clearing the entrance and exit for cars.

WHAS11 has compiled a list of all vaccine closures around Kentuckiana. Click here for the information.

RELATED: Health departments reschedule COVID-19 vaccination appointments due to weather

RELATED: Officials warn power outages are likely but the real concern is getting people off the roads

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