The American Dental Association and its COVID-19 vaccination policy

The American Dental Association (ADA) in its 160-year existence has always empowered the dental profession in the United States and assisted its 162,000 members in advancing the overall, oral health and well-being of patients and members. One of its main mission is to be a strong advocate for dentists by promoting the art and science of dentistry by supporting and ensuring that all member dentists have what they need when they need it and even before it is needed to succeed.

But today the ADA is not calling for mandated vaccination but 'strongly' encourages dental professionals to be vaccinated for Covid-19 and other infectious diseases. According to the Chicago-based ADA president, ''ADA policy recommends vaccination in accordance with the Atlanta based Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. At this point, the CDC doesn't recommend mandated COVID- 19 vaccination for health care professionals."

According to the August 9th, 2021 issue of the ADA News, the President of the Association further stated, "As we continue to hear about rising infections due to the Delta variant, I would like to remind you that dentists are essential health care providers whose leadership, counsel and example will go a long way in building vaccine confidence in the U.S. He added, "Let's do our part to move public health forward. If you haven't already been vaccinated, please get vaccinated and encourage your team members and patients to do the same."

In a news release, the ADA wrote that because dentistry is a science and evidence-based profession, the association has found that nearly 90% of dentists (in the U.S and its territories) reported being fully vaccinated for COVID-19, while 93.4% of dentists reported receiving at least one dose.