Thank-you to Manitoba dental hygienists for safely providing oral care during this next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, as highly infectious variants are circulating in the community causing breakthrough infections.
There are two items of importance for your review:
A Slightly Revised Interim IPC Guideline is available, please note new Health Canada information on the aerosolization of COVID-19 on page 3; other revisions are in orange font.
Flu Immunizer Role for Dental Hygienists
For those dental hygienists who completed the micro-credentialing as a Shared Health Immunizer, you should have received an email providing you with information to complete an Influenza Vaccine Module. Once this module is complete, as an Immunizer included in the Pandemic Response Order, you are eligible to administer Flu Vaccines as an employee of Shared Health.
Dental hygienists, who are on the local anaesthetic roster and have not signed up to be a COVID immunizer, but would like to now contribute to the pandemic response as an Immunizer for COVID and Influenza, can contact the College office for further direction. The micro credentialing course is still available as Shared Health is anticipating a renewed demand for Immunizers as the Immunization roll-out for children ages 5-11 years begins. You will also be required to upload your vaccine status to Shared Health.
In health,
Arlynn Brodie
Registrar, Executive Director