Texas A & M College of Dentistry
Fourth-year dental student Travis Horn practices his injection technique on a classmate under the watchful eye of a College of Pharmacy student .
FRONT LINE READY
Selective course prepared dental students to administer the COVID-19 vaccine
by LaDawn Brock
18
The need for more vaccine providers at North Dallas Shared Ministries prompted Texas A & M College of Dentistry to add a special rotation recently for dental students who are certified to provide the COVID-19 vaccine .
Marcus Hurt , community practice manager at UT Southwestern Medical Center , reached out to the dental school for assistance .
“ We are starting to see an increase in the number of people in the local community who are now deciding they want to get the COVID vaccine ,” wrote Hurt in an email to Dr . Penelope Drayer , clinical assistant professor in comprehensive dentistry .
“ We find ourselves with a room full of patients waiting to be vaccinated , and a line at the door of more people whom we have to turn away ,” Hurt said . “ I cringe as I write these words . We ’ ve been telling them to go to Walmart or CVS ; even UTSW is still vaccinating – but all the registrations at these big places have to be online . This is one of the biggest reasons why people in the population we serve are not being vaccinated elsewhere : no access to internet or lack of computer literacy .”
After receiving the email , Drayer sought approval from college administration to allow the students who had completed a special selective course on intramuscular injections that she organized in summer 2021 to return to NDSM to address this critical need . She ensured the special rotation didn ’ t interfere with the students ’ dental clinic instruction .
The selective course effectively equipped dental students to join the fight against the pandemic .
“ The idea started in January when dentists were still not authorized to give vaccines ,” says Drayer . “ But the federal government amended the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act March 11 , 2021 , allowing dentists and dental students , among other health care professionals , to administer the COVID vaccine .”
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According to the PREP Act , this authorization extends to students in multiple fields : dentistry , medicine , nursing , pharmacy , pharmacy intern , midwife , paramedic , advanced or intermediate EMT , physician assistant , respiratory therapy , podiatry , optometry and veterinary medicine . However , those students must have appropriate training in administering vaccines as determined by their schools or training programs . They also must have supervision by a currently practicing health care professional experienced in administering intramuscular injections who administers COVID-19 vaccines .
After Governor Greg Abbott approved Texas dentists and dental students to administer the COVID-19 vaccine on March 22 , 2021 , the idea that began in January became the impetus for a summer selective course at the College of Dentistry .
“ When Dr . Asim Abu-Baker , associate dean for clinical and professional affairs , and Dr . Andrea Mora , clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice at the Texas A & M University College of Pharmacy , came here in February to administer the COVID vaccines to our faculty , staff and students , I got to know them because I volunteered , so I had that connection ,” Drayer says . “ When they said that dentists could give the COVID injection , that ’ s when I called Dr . Abu-Baker and Dr . Mora and said , ‘ Could you offer a training for us , and can you come back to Dallas ?’”
Drayer says the College of Pharmacy faculty members were excited to work with the dental school on the selective course .
Drayer began assembling the course curriculum with help from College of Dentistry faculty members including Elain Benton , Dr . Brent Hutson , Dr . Matthew Kesterke , Dr . Shirley Lewis- Miranda , Dr . Amal Noureldin , Dr . Stephen Griffin , Dr . Simmi Patel , Dr . Kishore V . Shetty , Dr . Lawrence Wolinsky and Dr . Lynne Opperman .