Karla Toms, a registered nurse with St. Charles Health System, administers a vaccine in the arm of Suzi Smith, of Bend, during a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center in Redmond in January, 2021.

Citing the need for a “historic public health effort,” the Oregon Health Authority has invoked a federal law expanding the pool of professionals and students who can give COVID-19 inoculations.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck effort nationally and in Oregon to ensure we are safely vaccinating all eligible adults who wish to receive a vaccine,” Oregon Health Authority Director Pat Allen announced in a statement.

Naturopaths, veterinarians and optometry students are among 30 groups that can immediately give vaccinations under the federal Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act.

Allen signed the order Monday invoking the law. It outlines the requirements and rules for how and when vaccines can be given. If followed, those giving the shots are exempted from liability beyond gross negligence. 

In addition to doctors and nurses, the groups include several new categories from allied health professionals and students.

Allen and Gov. Kate Brown have said the only major obstacle to rapidly ramping-up inoculations in the state is getting more vaccine from the federal government.

But some local health officials have said they don’t have enough qualified people to give inoculations if a large amount of vaccine were to arrive.

The state will eventually need enough vaccine for the estimated 3.5 million Oregonians age 16 and older.

Through Monday, OHA says 577,299 people in Oregon had been fully vaccinated.

Most have received the two-dose Moderna or Pfizer vaccines. The state has received an initial batch of 34,400 doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine this month and expects more.

Currently, Oregon receives about 200,000 doses of vaccine per week. Allen has said the state needs between 100,000 and 200,000 more doses per week to meet President Joe Biden’s goal of eligibility for all ages by May 1.

There is currently no vaccine authorized for those under 16, though Moderna and others are working to create one. 

Under the PREP Act, the new vaccinators must be currently licensed, certified or registered in their professions or had an active license, certification or registration within the last five years.

The groups include:

• Certified nursing assistants (CNA)
• Dentists
• Direct entry midwives
• Emergency medical services providers (EMT, AEMT, EMT intermediate or paramedic)
• Naturopathic physicians (ND)
• Nurses
• Advanced practice registered nurses (APRN, includes nurse midwives)
• Registered nurses (RN)
• Licensed practical nurses (LPN)
• Optometrists
• Pharmacists, pharmacy interns and pharmacy technicians
• Phlebotomists
• Physicians (MDs and DOs)
• Physician assistants
• Podiatrists
• Respiratory therapists
• Traditional health workers
• Veterinarians

Healthcare students in selected fields:

• Dental
• Emergency medical services providers (EMT, AEMT, EMT Intermediate or Paramedic)
• Medical
• Midwifery
• Naturopathic medicine
• Nursing (including CNA programs)
• Optometry
• Pharmacy and pharmacy intern
• Physician assistant
• Podiatry
• Respiratory therapy
• Veterinary

A complete list of who qualifies to give vaccines, state guidelines and the PREP Act order can be found online at www.oregon.gov/oha/covid19/Documents/Oregon-PREP-Act-Authorization-for-Vaccinators.pdf.