Maine's updated COVID-19 vaccination mandate for healthcare providers issued Nov. 11 no longer includes dental professionals, the Portland Press Herald reported.
Four things to know:
- The previous version of the state mandate, introduced in August, gave healthcare workers, including dentists and emergency medical service personnel, until Oct. 29 to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
- The mandate was revised to exclude dental professionals and emergency medical service workers after feedback from healthcare professionals.
- While state legislators faced some opposition from the dental industry when the mandate was announced, the Maine Dental Association said it fully supported it.
- Jeanne Lambrew, commissioner of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, said the state reviewed data on COVID-19 outbreaks and found an absence of them in dental facilities.