BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AFP)— Slovakia on Tuesday suspended first doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, the health ministry said, after earlier signalling it was investigating the case of a vaccinated patient who died from a blood clot.

“Only people waiting for their second dose of this vaccine are currently being vaccinated with AstraZeneca,” the health ministry said in a statement. “Using this company’s vaccine for first-time doses has been suspended.”

Health Minister Vladimir Lengvarsky announced last week that Slovakia would review its vaccination strategy following a fatal blood clot in a patient who received an AstraZeneca jab.

Several other European Union countries have restricted AstraZeneca shots to older people only, after a link was made between the vaccine and very rare but often fatal blood clots coupled with low platelet levels.

Denmark has abandoned the vaccine entirely and experts in Britain have recommended people under 40 be given an alternative.

Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian states on Tuesday suspended immunisation of pregnant women with the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine on the advice of the national health regulator after a reported death.

A central European country of 5.4 million people, Slovakia registered a total 386,136 cases of COVID-19 as of Tuesday, including 12,077 deaths.