The Conversation: ‘Off-label’ use is common in medicine…why COVID-19 vaccines are different
A UC bioethicist explains why the COVID-19 vaccines are different than other medicines
Elizabeth Lanphier, a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the UC College of Medicine and a research assistant professor in the UC Department of Philosophy, and Shannon Fyfe, assistant professor of philosophy and adjunct professor of law at George Mason University, co-authored an article in The Conversation, explaining their analysis on the potential for “off label” use of COVID-19 vaccines.
Elizabeth Lanphier, PhD. Photo/provided by Lanphier.
Off-label refers to the administration of an FDA-approved product for a different population, use or dosage than what it was approved for. It is a common practice in health care.
The FDA and the American Academy of Pediatrics have warned against off-label use of COVID-19 vaccines in kids; and the CDC prohibits it based on the COVID-19 vaccine provider agreement it has with pharmacies, hospitals and clinics that are administering COVID-19 vaccines.“Off-label vaccination is not a strategy for mass vaccination. But our research suggests that off-label use of COVID-19 vaccines is an ethically permissible option on a case-by-case basis,” says Lanphier.
Lanphier and Fyfe authored The Conversation article based on their recent analysis of the topic, which is published in The Hastings Report.
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