In mid-December 2020, I was honoured to participate in a Zoom event hosted by the Honourable Patty Hajdu, federal minister of health, and Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer. Dental hygienists throughout Canada were invited to attend this appreciation event for health care and allied health care workers. I believe this was one of the first steps in the recognition of dental hygienists as primary health care providers by the federal government and thus was pleased to see several dental hygienists in attendance alongside physicians, nurses, dentists, paramedics, etc. The discussion revolved around the safety of the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines now available as well as the challenges not only with distribution but also with convincing the public to take the vaccine. Minister Hajdu suggested that dental hygienists were in a prime position to provide health promotion information to Canadians, including countering misinformation regarding the safety of the vaccines, since they see their clients more routinely than other health care providers. Additionally, Dr. Tam requested that we provide testimonials to our clients regarding the safety of the vaccine once we have personally received it.
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