UK backs continued use of AstraZeneca vaccine after five cases of rare blood clots

LONDON - Britain's medicines regulator on Thursday gave its continued backing to AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, saying the benefits outweigh the risks after finding there had been five cases of a rare brain blood clot among 11 million administered shots.

Concerns about reports of blood clots, along with low platelet levels, have led to some European countries including Germany to pause the rollout of the shot while the cases are investigated by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said that use of the vaccine should continue while the five reports were investigated, and one official said that the rollout would likely continue even if a link was proved.