The European Medicines Agency and British medical regulators have issued precautionary advice about the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, with both stressing that the benefits continue to outweigh the risks.
The EMA said Wednesday that unusual blood clots should be listed as a "very rare" possible side effect.
The announcement came after the agency examined 86 blood clotting cases, 18 of which were fatal, out of around 25 million people in Europe who received the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Most of the cases were in women under 60.
But it said no particular risk factor had been identified and the clots may be linked to an immune response to the vaccine.
Here's Dr. Sabine Straus, chair of the EMA's vaccine safety committee.
[Clip: Straus]
"After extensive discussions within the committee and taking into account the findings of the expert group, our conclusion is that these clotting disorders are very rare side effects of the vaccine. Further research analysis of this important issue will take place."
Britain said it will off alternative vaccines to people under the age of 30.
AstraZeneca said it was working to understand what caused these extremely rare events.
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