AstraZeneca withdraws COVID-19 vaccine due to rare side effect
KINGSTON, Jamaica — AstraZeneca is withdrawing its coronavirus vaccine worldwide after the company admitted in court documents that the vaccine can cause a rare and dangerous side effect.
According to a news report from The Telegraph, the vaccine, known as Vaxzevria, can no longer be used in the European Union after the company voluntarily applied to withdraw its “marketing authorisation” on March 5. This came into effect on Tuesday.
The report said similar applications will be made in the coming months in the UK and in other countries that had approved the vaccine.
AstraZeneca admitted in court documents lodged with the High Court in February that the Vaxzevria vaccine “can, in very rare cases, cause TTS”, The Telegraph said.
Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) is a very rare syndrome which occurs when a person has blood clots (thrombosis) together with a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia).
It has been linked to at least 81 deaths in the UK as well as hundreds of serious injuries, The Telegraph reported, adding that AstraZeneca is currently being sued by more than 50 alleged victims and grieving relatives.
In a statement obtained by The Telegraph, the company said, “We are incredibly proud of the role Vaxzevria played in ending the global pandemic. 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,” it continued.
“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,” it said.
