EU drug agency discounts any link between vaccine
The European Union drug regulatory agency says experts have concluded that the AstraZeneca vaccine is not linked to an overall increase in the risk of blood clots and that the benefits of use outweigh the risks.
The finding of the European Medicines Agency could pave the way for European countries that had stopped using the vaccine during the past week to resume dispensing injections.
EMA chief Emer Cooke said Thursday that the agency “cannot definitively rule out a link” between rare types of blood clots and the vaccine, however, and experts recommend raising awareness among doctors and recipients about possible risks.
The EMA recommended adding a description of these cases to vaccine brochures so that healthcare workers and patients are aware of these rare blood clots.
But Cooke also said: “Our scientific position is that this vaccine is a safe and effective option to protect citizens against COVID-19. It was shown to be at least 60% effective in clinical trials and the prevention of coronavirus disease. And in fact, the real-world evidence suggests that the effects could be even higher. ”
Many European countries had discontinued the use of the vaccine over the past week amid concerns about blood clots in a few tens of millions of people vaccinated with the formula across the continent.
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