EU agency links J&J shot to rare clots, says odds favor use

LONDON (AP) - The European Union’s drug regulatory agency says it found a “possible link” between Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine and extremely rare blood clots and that a warning should be added to the label. But experts at the agency reiterated that the vaccine’s benefits outweigh the risks.

The European Medicines Agency announced its findings Tuesday after a very small number of vaccine recipients in the United States were reported to have developed blood clots. It said these rare blood disorders should be considered “very rare side effects of the vaccine” and it recommended a warning on package labels.

The agency oversees the use of pharmaceutical products in the 27 EU countries.