The AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine has been found to cause rare blood clots, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) ruled Wednesday.
EMA Executive Director Emer Cooke noted that this finding does not mean that the vaccine should not be used, as the side effect is extremely rare: "I want to start by stating that our safety committee - the pharmacovigilance risk assessment committee (PRAC) of the European Medicines Agency - has confirmed that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine in preventing COVID19 overall outweigh the risks of side effects.”
“The PRAC, after a very in-depth analysis, has concluded that the reported cases of unusual blood clotting following vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine should be listed as possible side effects of the vaccine," Cooke added.
“Based on the current available evidence, specific risk factors such as age, gender, or previous medical history of clotting disorders have not been able to be confirmed, as the rare events are seen in all ages, and in men and women," she added.
In response to the announcement, British authorities have decided to limit administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine to people over the age of 30 and to provide an alternative vaccine to younger people.
Numerous countries in Europe have suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine following reports of rare but serious blood clots developing in the brains of several dozen patients.
Israel has not been using the AstraZeneca vaccine in its vaccination drive, instead using the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which have a higher rate of effectiveness and have not been linked to serious side effects.