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EU finds 'possible link' between AZ vaccine and clotting, but says benefits still outweigh risks

Christophe Ena/AP

FILE - In this Monday, March 15, 2021 file photo a vial of AstraZeneca vaccine is pictured in a pharmacy in Boulogne Billancourt, outside Paris. At least a dozen countries including Germany, France, Italy and Spain have now temporarily suspended their use of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine after reports last week that some people in Denmark and Norway who got a dose developed blood clots, even though there's no evidence that the shot was responsible. The European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organization say the data available don't suggest the vaccine caused the clots and that people should continue to be immunized. Here's a look at what we know — and what we don't.(AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)

By: The Associated Press & Scripps National

Posted at 6:09 AM, Apr 07, 2021

and last updated 2021-04-07 10:48:54-04

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.

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EU finds 'possible link' between AZ vaccine and clotting, but says benefits still outweigh risks

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