Oral Healthcare Practitioners as Vaccine Administrators

Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, 4 states—Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, and Oregon—authorized dentists to administer the influenza vaccine. During the pandemic, in response to the urgent need and high demand for widespread vaccinations and poor access to health care services, all US states authorized dentists to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to patients. The authorization of dentists to administer vaccines during the public health emergency indicated that dentists were equipped to serve as vaccinators after completing proper training, thus establishing their role in the prevention of communicable diseases. When COVID-19 public health emergency orders were lifted, dentists were no longer authorized to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. However, several states, including California, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, and Wisconsin, passed legislation that authorized dentists to administer vaccines irrespective of public health emergency status. Similarly, the state dental boards of Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Mississippi approved the administration of vaccines by dentists. In addition, the authority to provide influenza vaccines in these states was extended to dentists, increasing vaccine accessibility. In Massachusetts, dental hygienists, along with dentists, are authorized to administer vaccines, thereby expanding the number of qualified health care professionals who can now contribute to vaccination efforts. Legislation allowing dentists to vaccinate in Missouri, Nevada, and New York is pending. As discussions continue, it is anticipated that more states will pass laws to permit dentists to administer vaccines.