The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine should only be given to people over the age of 30, the UKs medicines regulator has recommended.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced the decision on Wednesday, amid reports of very rare incidences of blood clotting.

Dr. June Raine, chief executive of the MHRA, told a press conference: While its a strong possibility, more work is needed to establish beyond all doubt that the vaccine has caused these side effects.

It said those aged between 18-29 should be offered an alternative vaccine either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna shots.

It comes moments after a review by the European Medicines Agencys (EMA) safety committee concluded that unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be listed as very rare side effects of the vaccine but that the benefits of the vaccine still significantly outweighed the risks.