Now approved to administer COVID-19 vaccine, NC dentists eager to help fight pandemic – WAVY.com

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) When theyre not working on your teeth, dentists in North Carolina can now help fight the coronavirus. The North Carolina Dental Board recently announced dentists are now approved to administer COVID-19 vaccines in the state.

If youve ever had a cavity filled, your dentist has probably given you a shot of numbing medication.

Now they can also administer a different kind of shot, the COVID-19 vaccine.

Its welcome news to Dr. Tammy Severt, Dr. Annu Sood, and Dr. Waka Kadoma. The three Chapel Hill dentists want to do something to help fight the pandemic.

As dentists, we have a lot of training in injections. Wed love to be able to help get the vaccine into the arms of people who want it as quickly as possible, said Severt.

I consider it a great opportunity to extend the role of dentists as health care providers and to help, added Sood.

Dentists have already learned a lot about preventing COVID-19.

The infection-control measures we take in our offices are above anything weve done before, noted Severt.

Being able to give the vaccine will allow them to take a more active role in fighting the virus.

Dentists will have to go through training specific to COVID-19 vaccines before they are allowed to administer the doses.

Kadoma is ready. Give me a time and place, and then I will be there, she said.

Dr. Sood and Dr. Kadoma hope to vaccinate people at local vaccine clinics while Dr. Severt is considering offering the vaccine in her office.

She noted thatthe Johnson & Johnson shot would be ideal for administering in the office due to its easier storage requirements and the fact that its a one-dose vaccine.

As far as a community service right now, theres not really anything greater than we could do than trying to get the population vaccinated, she said.

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Now approved to administer COVID-19 vaccine, NC dentists eager to help fight pandemic - WAVY.com