ROME (AP) — A top official at the European Medicines Agency says there’s a causal link between the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine and rare cases of blood clots, but he says the benefits of getting the vaccine still outweigh the risks.
Marco Cavaleri, head of health threats and vaccine strategy at the EU agency, told a Rome newspaper that the agency is preparing to make a more definitive statement this week.
He says it will be based on the evidence that there is a clear association even though the cause isn’t yet understood.
The EU agency said a press conference may be held later this week. The AstraZeneca vaccine is critical to Europe’s immunization campaign and a linchpin in the global strategy to get vaccines to poor countries.
