Mexico president will get AstraZeneca COVID-19 shot, says risks minimal

Mexico's health regulator said it was investigating the information, but had no current plans to limit the shot to any age group. Lopez Obrador said earlier this week he planned to get vaccinated within two to three weeks.

Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Thursday that he will be vaccinated with the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, a day after Italy and the United Kingdom recommended its use be restricted to some adults.

Lopez Obrador, 67, said the benefits outweighed the risks of the low-cost shot, which is a core pillar of Mexico's vaccination strategy. Several countries have drawn attention to possible links between the vaccine and very rare cases of blood clots. "(The risks) are minimal for the benefit it causes," Lopez Obrador said at a regular new conference, echoing advice from Britain on Wednesday, which said the shot was safe for the vast majority of people, while recommending it not be used on adults under 30 years old. Mexico's health regulator said it was investigating the information, but had no current plans to limit the shot to any age group.

Lopez Obrador said earlier this week he planned to get vaccinated within two to three weeks.