Foundation dentists supporting vaccination programmes in England

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Healthcare Workforce Development
• Infectious Disease Control

Background:

• During the 2020/21 COVID-19 pandemic, England trained newly qualified dentists (FDs) for the first time to support flu and COVID-19 vaccination programs.
• This initiative aimed to augment healthcare workforce capacity, with 106 FDs trained in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of utilizing foundation dentists in delivering public vaccination programs.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to integrating dental professionals into vaccination efforts.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining online questionnaires for FDs and in-depth remote interviews with stakeholders.
• Stakeholders included host organizations, Public Health England, and Health Education England.

Main Results:

• A high questionnaire response rate (89%, n=94) was achieved, with 54 FDs reporting vaccination participation (50-100 vaccines/day).
• FDs expressed high confidence in flu vaccine administration and strong confidence in COVID-19 vaccination.
• Key barriers identified were the siloed nature of dental care and lack of inter-professional understanding; facilitators included host organization support for contracts and competency sign-off.

Conclusions:

• The integration of the dental workforce into vaccination delivery was a feasible strategy during a public health crisis.
• This model proved effective, particularly when trainees faced limited access to dental patients.