Veterinarians and Veterinary Students Enabled to Assist with Vaccination Efforts

microscopic image of coronavirus
Image courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

During his address to the nation March 11 on the one year anniversary of the COVID-19 shutdown, President Joe Biden focused on the effort to accelerate vaccination, and indicated that plans to expand the pool of qualified personnel eligible to administer vaccines would include veterinarians and veterinary students.  The statement followed efforts by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) to advocate at the federal level on behalf of veterinarians. 

As the conversation about utilizing veterinarians for administering COVID vaccines to people has accelerated over the past several months, the AVMA has been in communication with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and their teams that are responsible for coordinating the vaccine response.  Last month, the AVMA submitted a formal request to HHS asking that veterinary professionals be listed as a “qualified person” in connection with COVID declarations under the federal Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act), which authorizes the HHS secretary to issue emergency public health declarations and provides limited immunity from liability to those covered under the act.

The AVMA argued that if veterinarians are to be asked to help administer COVID vaccines to people, veterinarians need to be clearly authorized to do so, and they must be explicitly included among those covered by the liability immunity.  The day after the president’s speech, the acting HHS secretary issued an amendment to the PREP Act declarations that specifically addresses veterinarians and veterinary students.

The AVMA provided the following information about the amendment:

  • It allows veterinarians who are licensed to practice under the law of any state to administer COVID vaccines in any jurisdiction in association with a COVID vaccination effort by a state, local, tribal, or territorial authority or by an institution in which the COVID vaccine is administered.
  • This also applies to veterinarians who have held an active license or certification under the law of any state within the last five years which is inactive, expired or lapsed, as well as veterinary students with appropriate training in administering vaccines. The intent is to include recently retired veterinarians who may want to help.
  • The amendment preempts any state law that would otherwise prohibit veterinarians or veterinary students who are a “qualified person” under the PREP Act from prescribing, dispensing, or administering COVID vaccines or other covered COVID countermeasures.
  • Veterinarians and veterinary students will be afforded liability protections in accordance with the PREP Act and the terms of the amendment. However, specific conditions must be met in order for the authorization to administer the vaccines and the liability protections to apply. These liability protections apply from March 11, 2021, through October 1, 2024.
  • In order for the authorization and liability protections to apply, veterinarians and veterinary students must be participating in association with a COVID vaccination effort by a state, local, tribal, or territorial authority, or by an institution in which the COVID vaccine is administered. Additional specific requirements also must be met, such as having basic certification in CPR, completing the CDC COVID vaccination modules, an observation period, etc.
  • While the liability outlined in the PREP Act is broad, it does not apply to willful misconduct, and the federal government does not provide a legal defense in the event of a lawsuit.

The AVMA is working to develop additional resources to assist those who choose to volunteer in this effort, such as guidance on CPR certification and other requirements. Developing information will be posted at avma.org/Coronavirus.

The following federal government resources also provide additional information:

Click here to view a complete article by the AVMA on the latest developments.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Recent Stories

“Paws Up” – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

Today we’re sending a big “High Five” to Emma Wood, who is a Medical Oncology Client Liaison and the Client Liaison Team Lead for the Purdue Small Animal Reception Team, for the supportive energy she brings to her work every day.

In Memory: Former Veterinary Medical Library Staff Member Tonya Mull 

The Purdue Veterinary Medicine community is saddened to learn that Tonya R. Mull of Lafayette, Indiana, who served as a longtime Purdue Libraries staff member, including multiple years as a staff member in the Veterinary Medical Library, passed away October 18 at Franciscan Health Lafayette East.  She was 59.

PVM Symposium Offers MOAAR Education on Medicine of Aquatics, Amphibians and Reptiles

Veterinary professionals and students gathered recently at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine to take advantage of a special opportunity to enhance their knowledge and expertise about the care and treatment of aquatic, amphibian, and reptilian species. The fifth biennial Medicine of Aquatics, Amphibians, and Reptiles (MOAAR) Symposium was held October 18–19, at Lynn Hall on Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus, bringing together veterinarians, veterinary technicians, students, and experts dedicated to the care of exotic species.

Local Veterinary Celebration Highlights Global Veterinary Education

Going global is a popular ambition in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine as evidenced by the turnout for the college’s annual Global Engagement Fair last Friday, October 17. Held in the Veterinary Medical Library in Lynn Hall, the festive event featured international cuisine and displays about various study abroad opportunities available to Purdue DVM and Veterinary Technology students.