US parents of under-fives clamor for off-label use over Covid vaccine delays

Authorities warn against practice for younger children due to lack of safety and efficacy data

As news broke recently that the Covid vaccine for children under five would be delayed in the US amid ongoing clinical trials, a call to make the vaccines off-label for use among those children gained force - but officials caution against vaccinating young children without any safety or efficacy data for this age group.

When providers sign an agreement to provide Covid-19 vaccine shots, they also agree not to give the vaccine off-label, or use it for purposes other than what it was approved to do.