Empowering dentists to administer COVID-19 vaccines

Objectives: To detail how the scope of practice of dentistry was expanded in Kentucky allowing dentists to be rapidly mobilize and join a mass vaccination campaign and administer COVID-19 vaccines to the community. Methods: The processes involving policy change, an emergency administrative regulation, provider training and community action are detailed. Results: In just 21 days from state authorization, dentists from the University of Kentucky organized and trained clinicians to join a mass vaccination effort and provided over 1200 COVID-19 vaccines to the community. Conclusions: As essential healthcare workers, Kentucky dentists joined the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by participating in a mass vaccination campaign. This communication provides guidance to states, academic institutions, and dentists who are currently in the process of achieving this regulatory change and taking community action. It also provides insights to the benefits of expanding the scope of practice to include vaccination as part of dental services.