The Amsterdam-based European Medicines Agency on Thursday pronounced the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to be safe and effective, following controversy about possible side effects.

While a link between the few cases of thrombosis and a ‘small number of cases of rare and unusual but very serious clotting disorder’s could not be ruled out, that is no reason to say the vaccine is not safe, director Emer Cooke said.

Some 20 million people have been vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine so far.

The Netherlands stopped using the vaccine last weekend after the controversy blew up, in line with a number of other EU countries.

The Dutch medicines assessment agency had recommended the move. It is due to issue new guidance shortly.

So far, 350,000 people in the Netherlands have had the AstraZeneca vaccine and 795,000 doses have been delivered. A further 3.2 million doses are expected by the end of June.

The suspension of the vaccine has led to an estimated 110,000 vaccinations being delayed.