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This week, the one millionth Oregonian will receive their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The state is seeking to accelerate the pace of shots in arms—by expanding who can give them.
The federal government recently granted states the ability to authorize more types of health care workers to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. So that's what Oregon is doing. And as of March 22, Oregon Health Authority director Patrick Allen has widened the COVID-19 vaccinator pool by more than two dozen professions.
Doctors who can administer COVID-19 vaccines now include dentists, podiatrists, optometrists, direct entry midwives, naturopaths and veterinarians. Medical students in most of those fields can give shots, too.
"This is an all-hands-on-deck effort nationally and in Oregon to ensure we are safely vaccinating all eligible adults who wish to receive a vaccine," Allen said in a statement.
Those who are on the list must meet certain requirements and standards before beginning. For instance, health care students must be in the presence of a licensed provider who can monitor and supervise.
The expanded pool of vaccinators doesn't come as a surprise: President Joe Biden announced it earlier this month.
"The federal directive and my authorization greatly expand the number of professionals who can support this historic public health effort, as we continue to expand our efforts to schedule and vaccinate Oregonians throughout the state as quickly as we can with the supplies provided to us by the federal government and vaccine manufacturers," Allen states.
