AstraZeneca Vaccine Deemed ‘Safe’ by EU Agency After Countries Suspend Use

AstraZeneca vaccine bottles at a pharmacy in Edgeware, London, on March 16, 2021. Frank Augstein/AP Photo

The European Union’s drug regulator announced March 18 that the AstraZeneca CCP virus vaccine is “safe and effective” following reports of recipients developing blood clots or even dying after getting the shot.

The European Medicines Agency, in essentially clearing the vaccine for usage, said the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot isn’t associated with an increase in the overall risk of developing blood clots, and the benefits of using the vaccine continue to outweigh its possible risks.