EU agency finds no specific age risk for AstraZeneca so far

Experts probing links between the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine and blood clots have found no specific risk factors, including age, but are carrying out further analysis, the EU's drug regulator said Wednesday.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said however that its safety committee expected to issue an "updated recommendation" on the controversial vaccine after its monthly meeting next week.

Germany on Tuesday became the latest in a series of countries to advise against using the AstraZeneca jab for younger people after rare reports of clotting, despite the EMA saying it is safe.

"At present the review has not identified any specific risk factors, such as age, gender or a previous medical history of clotting disorders, for these very rare events," the Amsterdam-based EMA said in a statement.

"A causal link with the vaccine is not proven, but is possible and further analysis is continuing."

The EMA statement came after experts met on Monday to discuss their latest findings on the AstraZeneca vaccine. Their comments will be discussed at the safety committee's meeting next week.

The watchdog reiterated the view it gave in a keenly-anticipated statement on March 18, saying "its benefits in protecting people from COVID-19 with the associated risks of death and hospitalisation outweigh the possible risks."

© 2021 AFP