BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Chile said on Friday that people inoculated with AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine should get their second dose, but health officials put a new limit on the age of recipients until an investigation into possible complications is completed.
On Thursday, the health ministry said a 31-year-old man had developed thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) – a rare but serious condition involving blood clots with a low platelet count – seven days after his first AstraZeneca vaccine injection.
The government raised the minimum age of men eligible for the shots to 45 years. Regulators initially approved the vaccine for men over 18 and women over 45.
The affected patient is recovering, said Heriberto Garcia, head of Chile’s Institute of Public Health (ISP).
Men over 45 who received the first dose of AstraZeneca should stick with the plan to get the second shot, he said.
(Reporting by Fabian Cambero, writing by Hugh Bronstein; editing by Grant McCool)
