EMA says 'benefit-risk remains positive' for AstraZeneca jab

The European Medicines Agency said on Wednesday that 'benefit-risk remains positive' for AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.

“One plausible explanation for the combination of blood clots and low blood platelets is an immune response, leading to a condition similar to one seen sometimes in patients treated with heparin,” the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said.

"EMA's safety committee has concluded today that unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be listed as very rare side effects" of the shot, the Amsterdam-based EU drug regulator said in a statement.

The World Health Organization, which is closely studying the latest data on AstraZeneca's vaccine alongside other regulators, said on Tuesday it expects to there will be no reason to change its assessment that the benefits of the shot outweigh any risks.

In total 18 million doses of the vaccine developed by the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company and Oxford University have been administered in the UK.

EU countries have also detected dozens of cases of people with clots in blood vessels draining from the brain after receiving the vaccine.

Oxford University said late on Tuesday that it had paused a British trial of the AstraZeneca vaccine on children pending a decision by the MHRA.

In recent weeks, as questions were raised by several European nations over possible links between the AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots, the UK has defended its homegrown jab.

As a precautionary measure several countries have stopped administering the AstraZeneca vaccine within certain age groups and at different points nations including France, Germany, Norway and Denmark have suspended its deployment.

Vaccine hesitancy related to fears about the AstraZeneca jab could hamper Britain's mass vaccination programme. 

More than 31.6 million first doses of either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines have been given out, representing three out of every five adults.