The District of Columbia Department of Health (DC Health) clarified the legality of medical assistants administering COVID-19 vaccinations by adding the following section to its regulations:
223 SARS-CoV-2 VACCINE ADMINISTRATION
223.1 An individual, including a medical assistant [emphasis added] or a health technician, who is not licensed, registered, or certified to practice a health occupation pursuant to Chapter 12 of Subtitle I of Chapter 3 of the District of Columbia Official Code, is authorized to administer a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine provided that:
(a) The individual has successfully completed training, provided by a licensed health professional authorized by an existing scope of practice of a health profession to administer a vaccination in the District of Columbia, on the administration of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine;
(b) A licensed health professional authorized by an existing scope of practice of a health profession to administer a vaccination in the District of Columbia must supervise the individual at the vaccination site;
(c) The licensed health professional reasonably determines that the individual is able to administer the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine under appropriate supervision;
(d) The individual administers the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine at the vaccination site under the general supervision of a licensed health professional supervising the unlicensed person at the vaccination site; and
(e) The training, authorization, and supervision are appropriately documented in the records maintained by the vaccination site.
This rule is similar to rules and executive orders in other American jurisdictions that recognize the importance of empowering knowledgeable and competent medical assistants to administer COVID-19 vaccinations under appropriate supervision.
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