31th WHO Regulatory Update on COVID-19

WHO and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have concluded that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine continues to have a positive benefit-risk profile, with tremendous potential to prevent infections and reduce deaths across the world and the available data do not suggest any overall increase in clotting conditions, such as deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, following administration of COVID-19 vaccines.

Immunization programmes that had, in some countries, put a precautionary hold on the use of AZ COVID-19 vaccine whilst reports of very rare adverse events after immunization due to blood clots were investigated, promptly resumed use of the vaccine based on the outcomes of the reviews.