Australian experts back AstraZeneca vaccine, despite European regulator not ruling out link to rare blood clots

Australian experts have voiced their support for the continued nationwide rollout of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, despite the European medicines regulator concluding there is a “possible link” between the jab and a number of rare blood clots.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) found in its preliminary review that while the overall risk of clotting in people who’ve been vaccinated is on par with the general population, it could not rule out a potential link with a number of rare clots associated with low blood platelets.

These rare clots were almost all in women under 55, a group that is typically not at a high risk of clotting.

However, the EMA said the benefits of the vaccine “still outweigh the risks”.