Intermountain doesn’t support “off label” use of COVID-19 vaccines. We’ll continue to follow FDA approvals and authorizations, and the CDC recommendations supporting those approvals and authorizations. The CDC has occasionally recommended an off-label use for certain vaccines, and those are evidence-supported and vetted recommendations. Off-label use outside of those bounds puts the provider at a liability risk should an adverse event occur, and a financial risk as most off-label uses won’t be reimbursed. We’ll comply with federal guidelines of these vaccines. Intermountain will share all updates on CDC and Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations.
Examples of “off-label” use of vaccines not yet ready or approved for use at Intermountain (per CDC guidance):
- Providing a dose of an mRNA vaccine after a dose of J&J vaccine. Mixing of vaccine types in a series hasn’t been approved except for when someone has received one dose of an mRNA vaccine and the same brand isn’t available to them. Then a different brand of an mRNA vaccine can be used or one dose of J&J to complete the series, per CDC guidance.
- A third dose of Pfizer for the general population. This has only been authorized to date for immunocompromised patients.
- Providing COVID-19 vaccines to children under 12 years of age.