CareQuest Institute for Oral Health has released their second report that found over half of respondents (57%) in a recent oral health equity survey are willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and 60 percent of those individuals are willing to get the vaccine from a dentist. There has been a lot of discussion on dentists delivering COVID-19 vaccine, so therefore it matters – dentists are uniquely qualified healthcare providers who are extensively trained to perform complex injections. Some other interesting points:
- Respondents reported they did not have a physical examination in the past two years, but 12% had seen the dentist.
- Vulnerable and underserved populations, such as those with lower income (less than $30,000 [47%]) and education (less than high school [43%]), Hispanics [50%] and Blacks [42%], and those living in rural areas [49%] report lower rates of vaccine willingness.
- Dentists can reach patients who are not otherwise receiving the vaccine from a regular medical care provider.
If you would like to read more on dentist’s participation in America’s mass COVID-19 vaccination efforts, click here.