Lawmakers propose bill to allow dentists, medtechs to administer COVID-19 vaccines

Lawmakers have proposed a bill to allow dentists and medical technologists to administer COVID-19 vaccines, aiming to speed up the vaccination program.

House Bill 9354 seeks to amend the "COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act" to include these professionals among those authorized to give jabs.

Currently, the law permits only doctors, nurses, trained pharmacists, and midwives to administer vaccines.

The proponents argue that expanding the pool of vaccinators is crucial for an efficient rollout, especially as more vaccine doses arrive in the country.

This initiative aims to prevent vaccine wastage due to potential expiration and increase the overall vaccination capacity.

As of May 16, over 2.2 million Filipinos from priority groups A1 to A4 have received their COVID-19 vaccine doses.