Brussels, March 18 (TIWN) The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is due to provide an assessment on Thursday of the safety of Astrazeneca's vaccine against Covid-19 after several countries temporarily suspended use of the jab over fears about side effects.

 Brussels: The EMA's safety committee has been making a detailed evaluation of a small number of cases concerning blood clots occurring in recipients of the vaccine, reports dpa news agency.   The Agency's Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) is to issue any necessary recommendations for further action after its meeting on Thursday.   The European nations that has halted the usage of the vaccine are France Germany, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Cyprus, Portugal, Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Romania, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, the Netherlands, as well as non-EU countries of Norway and Iceland.   Many said they were waiting for guidance from the EMA.