March 12, 2021
In his first prime-time address, President Biden said dentists, EMTs, midwives, optometrists, physician assistants, podiatrists, respiratory therapists and veterinarians will become qualified to administer the three federally authorized COVID-19 vaccines, according to reporting by Medscape.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will soon launch a website to allow these clinicians to sign up to administer shots. The list of eligible vaccinators will also include medical and nursing students, the president said.
The expanded list of clinicians who can administer the vaccine is part of President Biden’s new push to have the country return to a greater level of normalcy by July 4.
Biden touted the recently announced partnership of Merck and Johnson & Johnson – typically competitors in the pharma space — to allow Merck to manufacture millions of doses of the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine.
“These two companies, competitors, have come together for the good of the nation,” Biden said. “And they should be applauded for it.”
The president reiterated that the US will have enough vaccine doses for all adults to be eligible for the vaccine no later than May 1 and vaccinated by the end of May. To help make that happen, he said, “we’re calling active duty military, FEMA, retired doctors, and nurses and administrators” to help make that happen.
