WHO: Risks from Covid-19 much higher than AstraZeneca vaccine related risks From CNN’s Naomi Thomas World Health Organization The World Health Organization continues to believe that the benefits of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine outweigh the risk of rare side effects, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a news briefing in Geneva on Friday. “Even as we work to expand access to vaccines, we’re continuing to keep a close eye on vaccine safety,” Tedros said. All vaccines and medicines carry a risk of side effects, he said, adding that: “In this case, the risks of severe disease and death from Covid-19 are many times higher than the very small risks related to the vaccine.”