HHS has amended the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act declaration on Oct. 3 to allow dentists and dental students to administer monkeypox, smallpox and other orthopoxviruses vaccines to patients in a declared emergency.
The PREP Act authorizes HHS to issue a medical countermeasures declaration in public health emergencies.
"By expanding the pool of providers who can administer monkeypox vaccines, we can increase equitable access for people at high risk for monkeypox infections who have not yet had an opportunity to get vaccinated," Dawn O'Connell, HHS's assistant secretary for preparedness and response, said in a news release.
The declaration extends to Dec. 31, 2032.