Dentists Can Now Administer Vaccines

Dentists in Wisconsin will be able to administer COVID-19 and flu vaccines under a bill signed into law Monday.

Wisconsin Act 8 requires dentists to go through training in administration, storage and record-keeping before they can administer the shots, among other conditions. The bill passed with broad bipartisan support, and comes as Wisconsin is opening up vaccine eligibility to Wisconsinites with preexisting conditions.

New reports of COVID-19 cases are holding steady in the state, based on the latest data published by the state Department of Health Services.

DHS reported 338 new cases of the disease Monday, bringing the average for the past seven days to 405 daily cases. One week ago, the average was 437 daily cases. It’s typical for DHS to report fewer confirmed COVID-19 cases on Mondays, with labs usually posting fewer test results the day before.

There were 2,599 negative tests reported on Monday.

As COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin continue to hold far below their November peak, more of the state’s residents are being vaccinated against the disease.

A total of 2,350,826 doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been administered in Wisconsin as of Monday, with 49 percent of Wisconsinites age 65 and up fully vaccinated.

As of Monday, 860,062 people in Wisconsin, or 14.8 percent of the population, have been fully vaccinated.

Increasing rates of vaccination have provided a sense of hope after a yearlong pandemic that has claimed the lives of 6,576 people in Wisconsin. There were no new deaths from COVID-19 reported on Monday.

Dentists, With Proper Training, Can Now Administer COVID-19 Vaccines And Flu Shots In Wisconsin was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.