The European Medicines Agency (EMA) declared the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine safe for use after it was suspended by 13 EU member states.
The EMA held a special meeting to look into the connection between unusual blood clot disorders discovered in several cases after people had received the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Germany, France, Spain and others temporarily halted vaccinations with the British-Swedish shot after EU member states reported 30 cases of blood clot disorders, including a rare and difficult-to-treat condition called cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT).
Some 5 million people have so far been administered the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in the EU.
Emer Cooke, the executive director of the EMA, said the AstraZeneca vaccine is a "safe and effective option to protect citizens from COVID-19." The EMA said the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the risks after coming to a "clear scientific conclusion."
At the same time, Cooke said the EMA could not "definitively rule out a link" between the vaccine and blood clots.
The EMA will conduct additional scientific studies into the matter and recommended that leaflets about the vaccine include information about blood clot risks to raise public awareness.
Following the initial assessment, several other European countries said they would soon re-start vaccinations with AstraZeneca doses, DW reported.
