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Cary, North Carolina – With 13% of adults in North Carolina fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, a new group of healthcare professionals are ready to join the vaccination effort: dentists.
To vaccinate more people, dentists like Dr Michael Riccobene are among those who can now help.
“Did I expect to administer a COVID vaccine? Absolutely not. But am I up to the challenge? Absolutely,” he said.
Bobby White, of the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners, said dentists are required to complete an online course provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before administering vaccines.
“The most beneficial way for dentists is that they can become vaccinators through the vaccination sites of the public health department,” White explained.
Dentists also have the option of being a provider where they can vaccinate in their office, but this must be approved by the CDC. This is what Riccobene is currently doing for five of its sites.
“If we go through the costs and the training, we want to make sure that we can reach that many people,” Riccobene said.
Riccobene will need to ensure that its staff are trained on how to store and handle the vaccine and how to deal with allergic reactions. It will also have to cover all costs, approximately $ 1,000 per location.
Riccobene said he’s ready, but there’s a wait and it’s a long process.
“I spoke to the director of the dental board. He said it might be a few weeks before we have access to the vaccine,” he said.
White said many dental offices were unlikely to administer vaccines due to the wait, cost and logistical challenges.
“There are a lot of administrative hurdles that need to be overcome, and that’s outside the dental board. It’s between the dentist and the CDC,” White said.
Dentists are allowed to administer vaccines until May 20, according to Gov. Roy Cooper’s executive order, but that time frame could be extended at any time.
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