SACRAMENTO, Calif.—As California battles its latest coronavirus surge, the California Optometric Association (COA) is asking state officials to allow optometrists to administer COVID-19 vaccines to their patients when the vaccines become available. Kristine Shultz, interim executive director of the COA, told VMAIL that the organization is seeking a waiver from the California Department of Consumer Affairs that would let California ODs join other healthcare professionals who are permitted under state law to give COVID vaccinations. On March 4, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a State of Emergency under which the Department of Consumer Affairs was authorized to waive statutory or regulatory requirements for professional licensing for a wide range of medical professions, including optometry, dentistry and pharmacy.

“We are also considering legislation next year for a more permanent solution,” Shultz added.

"Optometrists are well equipped to provide vaccines since the statute in California already authorizes certified optometrists to administer flu, shingles, and pneumonia immunizations to adults in California," said COA president Dr. Jason Tu. "The immunization training course for optometrists is the exact same course that is required for pharmacists and includes hands-on training on all vaccines. There are optometrists who work at community clinics that have taken the pharmacist required course work but can't administer COVID-19 vaccines because the statute prohibits it. All optometrists can be quickly trained and ready to help if we could just lift the arbitrary legal barriers that exist in California.

Tu said optometrists should also be allowed to test patients for COVID. “At some point when more rapid viral tests are available, we will have the ability to test every patient before they enter the office. More testing by all health care providers will help slow and stop the spread of the virus. California law currently limits testing by optometrists to conditions of the eye."

The American Optometric Association released a statement from its president, William T. Reynolds, OD, supporting states that are seeking to expand optometrists' scope of practice to include administering COVID vaccines under emergency authorization.

“As a nationwide response to the pandemic and the need to prepare for a huge public health campaign to vaccinate Americans, government policy leaders are recommending that states evaluate and expand their health care teams with regard to the provision of vaccinations. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released guidance to states specifically recommending that states, “Assess the provider types that can administer immunizations in your state. Consider whether there should be expansions of providers, including mass immunizers.”

Reynolds added, “As the nation’s focus pivots to the promise of a COVID-19 vaccine, doctors of optometry can serve as a critical resource and support to states as they develop immunization plans and protocols. The more than 46,000 doctors of optometry who deliver more than 80 percent of primary eyecare in America are well positioned to increase the public’s access to immunizations.”

In a related move, AOA is asking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to give optometrists priority for receiving a COVID vaccination. In a December 3 letter to Amanda Cohn, M.D., senior advisor for Vaccines National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, AOA president Reynolds said the Association believes that “it is critical to the overall health of our nation to ensure that health care personnel, including doctors of optometry and their staff members, are prioritized for vaccinations in phase 1a. Already, 43 percent of doctors of optometry report a health decline in their patients with chronic conditions due to the lack of regular care since the pandemic.”

At least one other state, Ohio, has protocols in place for optometrists to administer drugs in a declared emergency.