SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Chile’s health ministry said Thursday it would raise the minimum age of men approved to receive the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to 45, from 18, until authorities complete an investigation into a young man who had a blood clot after his first shot.
Chile, a global leader in vaccinating its citizens against the virus, received its first doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine in April. Regulators initially approved the vaccine for men over 18 and women over 45.
Authorities said a case of thrombosis in a 31-year man prompted them to increase the minimum age, calling it a “preventive and proactive measure”.
AstraZeneca’s vaccine, approved in dozens of countries except the United States, has been under increased scrutiny over reports of extremely rare but serious blood clots in some people who received the vaccine.
Chilean investigators said in April they had found no instances of blood clots among the 2,200 participants who took place in an AstraZeneca clinical trial in the South American nation.
(Reporting by Fabian Cambero; writing by Dave Sherwood; editing by Barbara Lewis)
