African Union says benefits outweigh risks of AstraZeneca COVID shot

ADDIS ABABA: The African Union said on Thursday that it considers that the benefits of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine outweigh the risks and recommended that vaccinations continue across the continent.

The announcement came a day after the World Health Organization backed the vaccine and as more than a dozen European countries have suspended the use of it amid concerns over the risk of blood clots. John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told a news conference that the "benefits still outweigh the risks" and that countries should "move forward" with the vaccination.