European Agency Confirms AstraZeneca's COVID-19 Vaccine Benefits

The European Medicine Agency (EMA) announced today 'COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca: benefits still outweigh the risks despite possible link to rare blood clots with low blood platelets.'

Announced late on March 18, 2021, the EMA confirmed that:

• the benefits of the vaccine in combating the still widespread threat of COVID-19 (which itself results in clotting problems and maybe fatal) continue to outweigh the risk of side effects;
• the vaccine is not associated with an increase in the overall risk of blood clots (thromboembolic events) in those who receive it;
• there is no evidence of a problem related to specific batches of the vaccine or particular manufacturing sites;
• however, the vaccine may be associated with very rare cases of blood clots associated with thrombocytopenia, i.e., low levels of blood platelets (elements in the blood that help it to clot) with or without bleeding, including rare cases of clots in the vessels draining blood from the brain (CVST).

However, the EMA validated it had reviewed only 7 cases of blood clots in multiple blood vessels (disseminated intravascular coagulation, DIC) and 18 cases of CVST.

In summary, 'A causal link with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is not proven, but is possible and deserves further analysis,' said the EMA.