TORONTO — Ontario is resuming use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 but only as a second dose.

The province’s chief medical officer says health risks posed by the vaccine are low.

AstraZeneca is associated with rare, potentially fatal blood clots.

As a result, several provinces stopped using it more than a week ago pending further research.

The province says new data indicate the benefits far outweigh the risk with second doses.

Ontario has tens of thousands of doses of the vaccine set to expire at the end of the month.

More coming 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 21, 2020.

The Canadian Press