"While its review is ongoing, the EMA continues to consider that the benefits of the vaccine in preventing Covid-19 outweigh the risks of side effects," the European regulator states in a press release.

A day after the announcement of a suspension in the administration of the single-dose vaccine from Janssen, a Johnson & Johnson group pharmaceutical company, in the United States following reports of blood clots potentially associated with taking the drug, the European agency recalls that it has also been analysing the situation since Friday, 9 April, expecting to "issue a recommendation next week".

"The agency's scientific opinions provide European Union member states with the information they need to make decisions about the use of vaccines in their national vaccination campaigns," the EMA also recalls, speaking about the vaccine approved by the regulator last 11 March and which only arrived in the EU space this week.

US health authorities recommended "a pause" in the administration of Janssen's anti-Covid-19 vaccine, to allow investigation of reports of blood clots potentially associated with taking the drug.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Food and Drug Administration said in a joint statement they were investigating blood clots detected in six women within days of taking the Janssen vaccine in combination with low platelet counts.

The first 30,000 doses of the Janssen vaccine were scheduled to arrive in Portugal on 14 April, but Johnson & Johnson announced it would delay sending the drug to Europe due to a preventive suspension in the United States.

The EU vaccination campaign has been marked by major delays in vaccine delivery by AstraZeneca and the side effects of its drug, given its confirmed link to very rare cases of blood clot formation.

There are currently four vaccines approved in the EU: Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca's new vaccine name) and Janssen.

The European Commission announced, on 14 April, the purchase of an additional 50 million doses of anti-Covid vaccine from BioNTech/Pfizer, bringing to 250 million the total for delivery this second quarter, following problems with Janssen's drug.

Also on 14 April, the EU executive disclosed that the European Union has reached 100 million doses of vaccine administered against Covid-19 by European countries, for a total of more than 126 million doses received, equating to 7.5 percent of fully inoculated European adults.