President Joe Biden's administration will allow retired physicians and nurses to administer COVID-19 shots as part of efforts to ramp up the vaccination rollout, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The announcement came Jan. 27 from the White House COVID-19 response team.
Jeff Zients, the new White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said during a news briefing that HHS will amend the Public Readiness and Preparedness Act to allow retired physicians and nurses to administer shots, according to the Journal. The rules will also be amended to allow licensed physicians and nurses to administer shots across state lines.
"We need to increase the number of places where people can get vaccinated, and also at the same time increase the number of vaccinators," Mr. Zients said, according to U.S. News and World Report. "This action by HHS will help get more vaccinators in the field."
The decision to allow retired physicians and nurses to administer COVID-19 shots is in addition to other efforts related to vaccine distribution.
Acting CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt said Jan. 27 that the White House is considering ways to produce shots by use of the Defense Production Act. Mr. Slavitt has also said the federal government would increase vaccine supply to states by 16 percent each week for the next three weeks.