Oregon Becomes First State to Permit Dentists to Vaccinate Children

Governor Kate Brown of Oregon signed a bill on May 6, 2019 that will allow dentists in that state to administer vaccinations. House Bill 2220, which passed Oregon’s House of Representatives on Mar. 28, 2019 and Senate on Apr. 25, will make it possible for dentists to give vaccines, including MMR, HPV and annual flu shots, to their patients during dental checkups. With the signing of HB 2220, Oregon becomes the first state in the U.S. to permit dentists to vaccinate patients of any age, including young children, with many types of vaccines. According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, dentists in Minnesota and Illinois can only give influenza vaccine to adults. The University of Minnesota’s School of Dentistry offers a 10-hour, self-paced, online course to administer flu shots and also offers a more basic three-hour online course.