ICO Conducts Interprofessional Vaccination Training

ICO Conducts Interprofessional Vaccination Training

The Illinois College of Optometry recently prepared and developed a four-hour course with a lab to train practicing Doctors of Optometry to administer COVID vaccinations, once Illinois Governor Pritzker approved optometrists to administer these vaccinations in a public clinic if they take 4 hours of online contuining education followed by participation in a one hour wet lab. To date, 57 OD’s have been certified, and over the next two weeks that number should increase to 150.

Governor Pritzker took action only after the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) released in March a declaration under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) allowing health professionals and students studying to be health professionals to be part of the nation’s emergency vaccination effort. DHHS’s declaration was in response, in part, to a letter signed by 11 health profession education associations (including ASCO) from the Students Assist America group (under the Federation of Associations of Schools of the Health Professions, or FASHP).

The Governor’s approval requires training labs to involve a non-OD observer during instruction. Pictured is Dr. Vince Brandys administering a vaccine in the lab under the observation of his daughter, a licensed paramedic, who will be attending the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine at the University of Pikeville in July.

Without the work from FASHP’s Students Assist America advocating for the inclusion of optometry students in the nation’s COVID vaccination effort, which was eventually successful in getting the HHS Secretary to amend the PREP Act to recognize additional Qualified Individuals as authorized to give COVID vaccinations, we here in IL would still not be eligible.