Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare - paramedics and clinical laboratory technicians are also allowed to do vaccination as a special case

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

ワクチン接種 救急救命士と臨床検査技師も特例で容認へ 厚労省

2021年5月31日 23時11分

新型コロナウイルスのワクチンについて、厚生労働省は、集団接種に必要な医師などを確保できない場合などにかぎり、救急救命士と臨床検査技師が接種を行うことを特例で認める方針を決めました。

新型コロナウイルスのワクチン接種は、医師や看護師などに加え、歯科医師が行うことも特例で認められていますが、自治体からは集団接種の会場で担い手を確保するのが難しいという声が出ています。

このため厚生労働省は31日夜、開いた検討会で、ふだん業務で注射や採血を行っている救急救命士と臨床検査技師についても、特例で接種を行うことを認めるよう提案し大筋で了承されました。

特例が認められるのは、集団接種の会場で必要な医師や看護師が確保できない場合に限られ、筋肉注射の研修を終えたうえで、接種を受ける人の同意を得ることが条件になるということです。

一方、委員からは「救急搬送などの本来業務に支障が出ない範囲にとどめるべきだ」とか「同意の取り方が不十分にならないよう国が方法を明確に示すべきだ」といった意見も出されました。

また、薬剤師や診療放射線技師、臨床工学技士に会場で接種後の経過観察などを担当してもらうことも了承され、厚生労働省は近く自治体に周知することにしています。

Translation

Regarding the new coronavirus vaccine, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare had decided a policy that, when it was not possible to secure doctors necessary for mass inoculation, paramedics and clinical laboratory technicians could be allowed to do inoculation as a special case.

Regarding vaccination of the new coronavirus, in addition to doctors and nurses, dentists were permitted as a special case, but local governments said that it was difficult to secure a person-in-charge at the mass vaccination site.

For this reason, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare proposed at a study meeting held on the night of the 31st suggested to approve that paramedics and clinical laboratory technicians who normally do injection and blood collection at work could be allowed to do inoculation as a special case.

Special cases to allow were only when the necessary doctors and nurses could not be secured at the mass inoculation site, and with conditions that they had completed the intramuscular injection training, and had the consent of the person receiving the inoculation.

On the other hand, the committee members also commented that "they should be kept within the range that does not interfere with the original work such as emergency transportation" and “the country should clearly show how to avoid inadequate consent. "

In addition, it had approved that pharmacists, radiological technologists, and clinical engineers would be in charge of the follow-up after inoculation at the venue; and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare would inform the local government soon.

              So, in Japan, because it is not possible to secure doctors necessary for mass inoculation at some locations, paramedics and clinical laboratory technicians could be allowed to do inoculation as a special case. Japan is now trying to catch up with its Covid-19 vaccine mass inoculation that has been delayed for various reasons.