Despite the concerns of several EU countries, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) remains "firmly convinced" of the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19, its director announced Tuesday, March 16, after the report of blood clots possible but without a proven link at this stage.
"We remain firmly convinced that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine in preventing Covid-19, with its associated risk of hospitalization and death, outweigh the risk of these side effects," said the executive director of the 'EMA, Emer Cooke, on a video conference.
About fifteen countries, including Germany, France and Italy, have suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine as a precaution, after reports of blood problems detected in vaccinated people, such as coagulation problems or the formation of blood. clots (thrombosis).
"At this time, there is no indication that the vaccination caused these problems. They have not been mentioned in clinical trials and they are not listed as known or expected side effects," said Emer Cooke, adding that the EMA is taking the situation "very seriously".
WHO meeting
Clinical trials have shown "very small numbers of blood clot developments," she said.
The Amsterdam-based EMA security committee was meeting on Tuesday to assess new information and is expected to come to a conclusion at a special meeting on Thursday, the director said.
"So it's an ongoing process. I'm not here to give you the update of a scientific review," she warned.
The WHO expert advisory group on vaccination is also meeting on Tuesday to discuss the vaccine developed by the Swedish-British laboratory AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford.
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