Key Takeaways

News footage these last few weeks has focused on healthcare workers getting the COVID-19 shot in the arm of their choice. But just who is doing the vaccinating?

Even before COVID-19, states determined which healthcare professionals could give vaccinations. Some allowed pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, and others did not. “But with COVID, it’s all hands on deck for vaccination,”Claire Hannan, MPH, the executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, tells Verywell. Hannan says that because of the current COVID-19 public health emergency, “states can pass orders that allow providers who might not typically be vaccinators in a state to give the COVID-19 vaccine.”

According to the American Public Health Association, professionals who will be able to administer the COVID-19 vaccine include:

Physicians say relying on these health professionals is exactly the right way to get the vaccines administered. “I’ve given exactly one vaccine in my career, so you wouldn’t want it from me,”Amesh Adalja, MD,senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Health Security, tells Verywell. “People getting the vaccine should feel very confident in the professionals administering them who have been trained to give the shots.”

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How People Become Trained To Administer Vaccines

Health professional associations, such as the National Pharmacy Technician Association (NPTA), have been providing training programs to get their members ready.

“While pharmacy technicians have been authorized to administer vaccines in a handful of states prior to this, overall, it will be a new scope of practice for many of them,” Mike Johnston, CPhT, CEO of NPTA, tells Verywell.

Pharmacy technicians and interns have been authorized to administer vaccines under thePREP (the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness) Act. This act will vastly expand the availability of trained professionals who can administer vaccinations to the hundreds of millions of people who will be getting the shot, says Johnston, whose association is providing in-person training to as many as 200,000 pharmacy technicians. Pharmacy technicians will frequently be the professionals giving the vaccine in long-term care facilities and chain pharmacies such as Walgreens and CVS.

“We’re prepared to play a critical role in the vaccination process utilizing our vast experience and army of trained healthcare professionals,”Joe Goode, senior director of corporate communications for CVS, tells Verywell.

Where Will I Be Able to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine?

There are several parameters for pharmacy technicians and students/interns being allowed to administer the COVID-19 vaccines:

According to Johnston, studies done in states where pharmacy technicians have been previously allowed to administer vaccines show no vaccination errors.

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Your Vaccine Appointment Is Not the Time For Questions

While the training for people administering COVID-19 vaccines includes detailed information on the benefits and risks of the vaccine, medical and public health experts urge people to ask all of their questionsbeforearriving to get their vaccine.

“The logistics of getting the vaccine to hundreds of millions of people requires that we do this efficiently, expertly, and quickly,” Sanders says. “The best time to read up on the vaccine is before you sign up for the shot.”

Leana Wen, MD, MSc, an emergency physician and visiting professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken School of Public Health, agrees.

“Be certain you have all your questions answered before getting in line for the shot,” Wen tells Verywell. She explains that while the person administering the shot will be an expert, you should discuss any individual concerns with your own primary care provider. “[The vaccine technician] does not know you or any health conditions that you may have wanted to discuss with your doctor before getting the shot,” Wen says.

What This Means For YouHealthcare professionals across the country are being trained to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. It’s important to know their focus will be on administering the vaccine and monitoring for side effects, not answering all of your questions.Educate yourself about the vaccineand whether it’s appropriate for youbeforeyou make an appointment.

What This Means For You

Healthcare professionals across the country are being trained to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. It’s important to know their focus will be on administering the vaccine and monitoring for side effects, not answering all of your questions.Educate yourself about the vaccineand whether it’s appropriate for youbeforeyou make an appointment.

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

1 SourceVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Adams AJ, Desselle SP, McKeirnan KC.Pharmacy technician-administered vaccines: on perceptions and practice reality.Pharmacy (Basel). 2018;6(4):124. doi:10.3390/pharmacy6040124

1 Source

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Adams AJ, Desselle SP, McKeirnan KC.Pharmacy technician-administered vaccines: on perceptions and practice reality.Pharmacy (Basel). 2018;6(4):124. doi:10.3390/pharmacy6040124

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Adams AJ, Desselle SP, McKeirnan KC.Pharmacy technician-administered vaccines: on perceptions and practice reality.Pharmacy (Basel). 2018;6(4):124. doi:10.3390/pharmacy6040124

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