AstraZeneca Covid-19 Vaccine’s Benefits Outweigh Risks, Says EU

The European Union’s health authority said it is still firmly convinced that the benefits of AstraZeneca PLC’s Covid-19 vaccine outweigh the risks, after a string of nations in the bloc temporarily halted use of the shot over blood-clot concerns.

The European Medicines Agency so far sees no indication that the vaccine caused a number of blood-clotting incidents reported across the region, Executive Director Emer Cooke said in a briefing Tuesday.

The EU’s health agency is currently reviewing those incidents to determine whether they represent a broader risk. Ms. Cooke said the results of the review would be presented Thursday.

She said that blood-clot incidents remain very rare, while thousands of people continue to die from conditions related to Covid-19.

“Trust in the safety and efficacy of the vaccines…is paramount for us,” Ms. Cooke said. “We are worried there may be an effect on the trust of the vaccines.”