CDC- ‘Dental Providers Are Healthcare Personnel'

At the American Dental Association's prompting, the CDC clarified that dental providers are healthcare personnel and are included in the priority access for COVID-19 vaccination. Initially, dental providers were not expressly listed in the first tier for vaccination scheduling.

Previously, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) produced the recommendations for vaccination disbursement. The ACIP recommended the initial phase of the COVID-19 vaccination program (Phase 1a) should be offered to health care personnel and residents of long-term care facilities.

The Texas Dental Association is now requesting that our Department of State Health Services' (DSHS) Task Force also clarify dental healthcare providers' classification for vaccine distribution. The TDA testified that “making COVID-19 vaccines available to dental health care personnel is crucial for Texas to maintain a strong dental workforce. This helps ensure that dental care can continue being delivered safely to patients. As an integral part of Texas overall health care infrastructure, dentists and their teams provide direct patient care that is key to the state's overall COVID-19 response.”

Thank you, ADA and CDC for the more precise definition.

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