AstraZeneca withdraws Covid-19 vaccine globally, months after admitting rare side effects

NEW DELHI: The OxfordAstraZeneca Covid vaccine is being reportedly withdrawn worldwide, months after the pharmaceutical company admitted for the first time in court documents that it can cause a rare side effect. The vaccine can no longer be used in the European Union after the company voluntarily withdrew its “marketing authorisation”. The application to withdraw the vaccine was made on March 5 and came into effect on Tuesday. Calling the decision purely coincidental, the Pharma giant has cited “surplus of available updated vaccines” as the reason behind the withdrawal. They said the vaccine is no longer being manufactured or supplied, the Telegraph said on Tuesday. AstraZeneca said the decision was made because there is now a variety of newer vaccines available that have been adapted to target Covid-19 variants. This had led to a decline in demand for the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is no longer being manufactured or supplied. In a statement the company said, “We are incredibly proud of the role Vaxzevria played in ending the global pandemic.” “As multiple, variant Covid-19 vaccines have since been developed, there is a surplus of available updated vaccines. This has led to a decline in demand for Vaxzevria, which is no longer being manufactured or supplied. AstraZeneca has therefore taken the decision to initiate withdrawal of the marketing authorisations for Vaxzevria within Europe.” “We will now work with regulators and our partners to align on a clear path forward to conclude this chapter and significant contribution to the Covid-19 pandemic,” the company said. AstraZeneca came under intense scrutiny in recent months over a very rare side effect, which causes blood clots and low blood platelet counts. The company admitted that the vaccine “can, in very rare cases, cause TTS”. TTS, which stands for Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, has been linked to at least 81 deaths in the UK as well as hundreds of serious injuries. AstraZeneca is being sued by more than 50 alleged victims and grieving relatives in a High Court case. However, the company said that the decision was purely coincidence and not linked to the Court case or its admission that it can cause TTS. TTS, which stands for Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, has been associated with at least 81 deaths in the UK and hundreds of serious injuries. As many as 51 cases have been lodged in the UK High Court against the pharma major with victims seeking damages estimated to be worth up to GBP 100 million. In the class action lawsuits, victims and grieving relatives alleged deaths and severe injuries after taking the vaccine. AstraZeneca and Oxford University had developed the vaccine during the Coronavirus pandemic. The vaccine was produced by India’s Serum Institute of India (SII) and widely administered in the country during the pandemic. On Wednesday, AstraZeneca denied that the decision to withdraw the vaccine is linked to the court case where it accepted that it can “in very rare cases cause TTS or Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome”. TTS causes blood clots and a low blood platelet count in humans and has been linked to at least 81 deaths in the UK. The company said it had voluntarily applied on March 5 to withdraw its “marketing authorisation” in the European Union, adding that the vaccine was no longer being produced and could no longer be used. Similar withdrawals will be made across other countries that have been using the vaccine. The pharmaceutical giant is facing a 100 million pound lawsuit in UK over claims that the Covid jab caused deaths and injuries to several people. “According to independent estimates, over 6.5 million lives were saved in the first year of use alone and over three billion doses were supplied globally. Our efforts have been recognised by governments around the world and are widely regarded as being a critical component of ending the global pandemic,” the company said in its statement. “As multiple, variant Covid-19 vaccines have since been developed, there is a surplus of available updated vaccines. We will now work with regulators and our partners to align on a clear path forward to conclude this chapter and significant contribution to the Covid-19 pandemic,” the company said in a statement.

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