The European Medicines Agency (EMA), is due to provide an assessment on Thursday of the safety of Astrazeneca’s vaccine against COVID-19 after several countries temporarily suspended use of the jab over fears about side effects.

The EMA’s safety committee has been making a detailed evaluation of a small number of cases concerning blood clots occurring in recipients of the vaccine.

The EMA’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) was to issue any necessary recommendations for further action after its meeting on Thursday.

Following reports of the blood clot cases, some countries in the European Union suspended use of the vaccine, further delaying already sluggish inoculation campaigns.

Many said they were waiting for guidance from the EMA.

The EMA said it was looking at available data related to all thromboembolic events reported after vaccination, including additional data provided by national health agencies.

“Rapid and thorough analysis of the available data and clinical circumstances surrounding specific cases is continuing, to determine whether the vaccine might have contributed or if events are likely to have been due to other causes,’’ the EMA said.

Both the EMA and the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended continuing inoculation with AstraZeneca’s vaccine until further notice, noting its benefits outweighed the risks of COVID-19.