‘Safe and effective’: EU drug regulator backs AstraZeneca vaccine

The European Medicines Agency says the benefits of the shot outweigh the risks after several countries pause roll-outs amid fears over blood clots.

The European Union drug regulator has said that the AstraZeneca vaccine was “safe and effective” after several mostly European countries suspended its use following reports of blood clots after the jab inoculation. Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday, Emer Cooke, head of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said that the AstraZeneca vaccine is “a safe and effective option to protect citizens against COVID-19”. Cooke said that the agency “cannot rule out definitively a link” between rare types of blood clots and the vaccine, and experts recommend raising awareness among doctors and recipients of possible risks.