The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday recommended the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine amid concerns about it inducing blood clots and said its experts were still reviewing safety data on the jab. 

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“The WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety is carefully assessing the latest available safety data,” the global health watchdog said in a statement. 

“WHO is in regular contact with the European Medicines Agency and regulators around the world for the latest information on COVID-19 vaccine safety. At this time, WHO considers that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh its risks and recommends that vaccinations continue.”

Several European Union countries have temporarily suspended the use of the vaccine, jointly developed by Anglo-Swedish biotech firm AstraZeneca and the Oxford University, as a precautionary measure after reports of rare blood coagulation disorders in recipients. Those countries include Germany, Italy and France.

AstraZeneca, along with experts from the UK, have denied the claims and said there is no evidence the clots are being caused by the vaccine. 

The European Medicines Agency, EU’s medical regulator, on Tuesday ruled out reports linking the clots to the vaccine and urged countries to continue using the jab. 

“At present there is no indication that vaccination has caused these conditions,” EMA chief Emer Cooke said.