Chile Approves AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine

Reuters reported the Chilean Public Health Institute announced on January 27, 2021, the approval of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine (AZD1222) for emergency use by a unanimous vote of its advisory board. The vaccine approval is for use for Chileans over the age of 18 and without an upper age limit.

The experimental AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is made from a virus (ChAdOx1), a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus). Genetic material has been added to the ChAdOx1 construct, which is used to make proteins from the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus called Spike glycoprotein.

According to Chile's Department of Statistics and Health Information, in the last 24 hours there were 17 deaths due to causes associated with COVID-19. The total number of deceased amounts to 18,040 in Chile during the COVID-19 pandemic.