Volume 8 • 2021 • Issue 3

Although the task of administering vaccines can be somewhat routine and repetitious, Dr. Antel sees value in dentists participating in the process, as vaccines and booster shots might become more of a regular occurrence. “The injection technique is not challenging to us as dentists, but we do need to have a heightened awareness of watching out for immediate post-injection events, such as fainting or allergic reactions, as these are more common with vaccines compared to what we see in our practices,” says Dr. Antel When pressed to give a suggestion on how the overall vaccination process could be improved, Dr. Antel mentions trying to eliminate some of the bureaucracy. “Scheduling challenges, for both vaccinators and the public, have been a bit of a stumbling block,” he says. “The scientific community figured out how to streamline the vaccine development process, so I think we can also try to reduce some of the bureaucracy and administration, because speed is of the essence.” “I volunteered at a vaccination session for the Siksika First Nations, a band located east of Calgary,” he says. “At the vaccination centre, Siksika elders opened with a prayer and we took part in a smudging ceremony and this helped to set the tone for the volunteers and patients.” Alberta When he took on the role of president of the Albert Dental Association and College (ADA+C) in July 2020, Dr. Bruce Yaholnitsky contacted Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the provincial Health Minister to remind them of dentists’ ability to administer vaccines. “We’re fortunate in Alberta because giving vaccines is already part of our scope of practice, so special legislation was not required,” says Dr. Yaholnitsky. To help overcome the bureaucratic hurdles in his province, Dr. Yaholnitsky spoke with the AHS. Soon after, the ADA+C was contacted by the chief medical officer for OKAKI, a public health services organization in Alberta, to see if dentists would be able to volunteer to help administer COVID vaccines for Calgary’s Indigenous populations. “Within 12 hours, we had over 60 dentists ready and willing to volunteer and we actually had more than they needed!” says Dr. Yaholnitsky. The injection technique is not challenging to us as dentists, but we do need to have a heightened awareness of watching out for immediate post-injection events, such as fainting or allergic reactions. People were very appreciative of what we were doing and it seemed like I received more thank-you’s giving vaccines at these clinics than I’ve had in my time in dentistry. Dr. Yaholnitsky praised how well the clinic was administered; patients moved smoothly from the parking lot to the questionnaires to the vaccination stations. “People were very appreciative of what we were doing and it seemed like I received more thank-you’s giving vaccines at these clinics than I’ve had in my time in dentistry,” he joked. Although he couldn’t interact with the other health care providers at the clinic because of COVID protocols, Dr. Yaholnitsky thinks it’s beneficial to have dentists volunteering in this role. “Dentistry and medicine are often seen as separate entities, but taking part at these clinics can help break down walls or misconceptions and reinforce that dentists are an integral part of the health care team,” he says. Hear more insights from Drs. Antel and Yaholnitsky on CDA Oasis: bit.ly/33fkrAg Dr. Bruce Yaholnitsky I ssues and P eople 31 Issue 3 | 2021 |