In a survey published Jan. 1 conducted by the American Dental Association in September 2021, 55 percent of dentists said they were willing to administer COVID-19 or flu vaccines at their practice, but only 2 percent of respondents did.
The dentists who were surveyed identified the top three resources needed to overcome vaccine administration barriers: financial support, access to protocols, and training or education.
Dentists needed financial support to purchase the equipment needed to properly store vaccines.
The study showed that there was a lack of awareness about state vaccination regulations for dentists. The survey consisted of 330 participants, and 42 percent of respondents didn't know which vaccines their state allowed them to administer.
Training was also a tough barrier. Eighty-one percent of participants said they had no clinical training in vaccine administration. Fifty-nine percent said they didn't know what methods of training they had access to.
Ninety-one percent of respondents believed dental hygienists should play some role in vaccination. With the removal of these barriers and access to proper resources, dentists have the potential to play a greater role in vaccination.