In a fact sheet released by the White House on Friday, March 12, following President Biden’s address to the nation on his strategy to implement the next phase of those eligible for the COVID-19 vaccines, the President stated his plan to increase the pool of qualified professionals who can administer the vaccines. The AARC is proud to announce that respiratory therapists were included on the expanded list. This action further raises the visibility of dedicated respiratory therapists who have given so much of themselves and to their patients during the year-long public health emergency and achieves a goal of the AARC.
Additional professionals designated by the President include Dentists, advanced and intermediate Emergency Medical Technicians, Midwives, Optometrists, Paramedics, Physician Assistants, Podiatrists, Respiratory Therapists, and Veterinarians, as well as medical students, nursing students, and other healthcare students in the previously listed professions under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act.
According to the fact sheet, expanding the list of professionals will require some additional work. The Department of Health & Human Services has established a dedicated website to determine eligibility for those who want to volunteer to administer the COVID-19 vaccines. In an earlier AARC Newroom article about adding RTs to the list of those who can administer the COVID-19 vaccines, you may recall that some states required additional training.
The HHS website encourages states and territories to further expand the categories of persons authorized to administer COVID-19 vaccines to respond to
local needs and the availability of potential vaccinators. Respiratory therapists who wish to volunteer can access the HHS website.
Email newsroom@aarc.org with questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you.
Anne Marie Hummel is the AARC’s Associate Executive Director for Advocacy and Government Affairs where she brings her years of regulatory experience in the Federal Government to overseeing federal and state legislative and regulatory policies that impact the respiratory care profession. Check out AARC’s Advocacy menu on our website to learn more. Outside of work, Anne Marie loves interior design, tackling 1000-piece puzzles and spending time with her granddaughter.
