Astrazeneca withdraws Covid vaccine
AstraZeneca announced on Tuesday that it is globally withdrawing the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, weeks after acknowledging rare side effects associated with the vaccine.
As reported by The Telegraph, AstraZeneca stated that the withdrawal is due to commercial reasons. The vaccine is no longer being produced or supplied, as it has been replaced by updated vaccines designed to address new variants of the virus.
As per the report, the vaccine is no longer authorized for use in the European Union after AstraZeneca voluntarily withdrew its “marketing authorization.”
The request to withdraw the vaccine was submitted on March 5 of this year and went into effect on Tuesday.
AstraZeneca is facing a class action lawsuit alleging that its COVID-19 vaccine, developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford, resulted in death and serious injuries, including Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), a condition characterized by blood clots and low blood platelet counts.
Nevertheless, AstraZeneca has asserted, as reported by The Telegraph, that the decision to withdraw the vaccine is unrelated to the court case or its acknowledgment of the potential for TTS. The company maintains that the timing of the withdrawal is purely coincidental.
AstraZeneca, in partnership with the University of Oxford, developed the AZD1222 vaccine following the emergence of the coronavirus in 2020. In countries like India and other low- and middle-income nations, the vaccine was produced and distributed under the name “Covishield” by the Serum Institute of India (SII) under a licensing agreement with both the university and the Swedish-British pharmaceutical company.
Report on ‘rare’ side effects
AstraZeneca acknowledged in a legal document presented to the High Court in February that its COVID-19 vaccine “can, in very rare cases, cause TTS.”
Subsequently, legal representatives argued that the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine is “defective” and that its efficacy has been “significantly exaggerated.” AstraZeneca vehemently refuted these assertions.
According to the report, Sarah Moore, a partner at the law firm Leigh Day representing the legal claims, stated, “In that context, unfortunately, it appears that AstraZeneca, the government, and their legal representatives are more interested in playing strategic games and accruing legal fees than in genuinely addressing the devastating impact that their AstraZeneca vaccine has had on our clients’ lives.”
In response to these assertions, AstraZeneca commented, “Our sympathies are with anyone who has lost loved ones or experienced health issues. Patient safety is our top priority, and regulatory authorities have stringent standards in place to ensure the safe utilization of all medicines, including vaccines.”
