LONDON — The EU’s drug regulator says it has found a “possible link” between the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine and a rare clotting disorder but said that the benefits of the shot still outweigh risks.
In a statement released Wednesday, the European Medicines Agency placed no new restrictions on using the vaccine in people 18 and over.
The EMA said most of the cases reported have occurred in women under 60 within two weeks of vaccination.
The agency said based on the currently available evidence, it was not able to identify specific risk factors.
Experts reviewed several dozen cases that came mainly from Europe and the United Kingdom, where around 25 million people have received the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The announcement expected later Wednesday may have far-reaching effects on the use of a shot that is key to global efforts to end the pandemic
The AstraZeneca vaccine is not yet approved for emergency use in the U.S. The company released findings from a U.S. study in March that showed the vaccine to be safe and effective, though the Data and Safety Monitoring Board requested that the company release additional info clear up inconsistencies in data.
