British regulators have identified 30 cases of rare blood clots after the use of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, 25 more than the agency previously reported, after millions of doses were administered.
"I need to reiterate that at this time the risk of serious disease and death from Covid-19, if we experience a severe outbreak, especially among older Australians and those with serious health conditions, is far greater than the very small potential risk of a very rare clotting disorder associated with the vaccine", Kidd said.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority said, "The benefits of vaccination against Covid-19 still outweigh any risks", and urged citizens to continue taking the vaccine.
The Netherlands was the lastest European countries to stop using the AstraZeneca vaccine to vaccinate people under the age of 60, amid fears of a link between it and the incidence of rare blood clots.
It said it wasn't clear if the shots are causing the clots, and that its "rigorous review into the United Kingdom reports of rare and specific types of blood clots is ongoing".
The vaccine has been backed by the World Health Organisation and the EU's drugs regulator, which have said there was no evidence of a link to an increased risk of blood clots.
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Professor Adam Finn, from the University of Bristol, said: "The report states that these cases are being very carefully investigated to better understand whether or not they may have any causal relationship with vaccination".
The Netherlands stopped vaccinations with AstraZeneca for people under the age of 60 after five new cases of thrombosis among women.
Germany had taken a similar decision earlier this week.
However, Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration and the European Medicines Agency continue to back the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Scientists said Friday that the overall risk of the particular clotting events that have drawn concern was extremely low: roughly one case in 600,000 recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Britain.
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures after receiving the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine administered by nurse and Clinical Pod Lead, Lily Harrington at St.Thomas' Hospital in London, England. People can not choose which one they get.
