AstraZeneca withdrawing Covid vaccine globally, calls timing a coincidence: Report

The pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine is being withdrawn globally after the company acknowledged in court documents that it can cause a rare and dangerous side effect. However, the pharma giant said that the vaccine is being removed from the markets for commercial reasons.

The company said that the vaccine is no longer being manufactured or supplied, the Telegraph said on Tuesday.

Calling the decision “purely coincidental”, the pharma giant has insisted that the withdrawal of vaccine is not linked to its admission that it can cause TTS – Thrombosis Thrombocytopenia Syndrome.

As the company voluntarily withdrew its “marketing authorisation”, the vaccine is no longer authorised for use in the European Union. The withdrawal application was submitted on March 5 and took effect on Tuesday.

Similar withdrawal applications will be submitted in the UK and other countries that had previously approved the vaccine, known as Vaxzevria.

Vaxzevria is under global scrutiny due to a rare side effect causing blood clots and low blood platelet counts. In court documents filed with the High Court in February, AstraZeneca admitted that the vaccine “can, in very rare cases, cause TTS”.

TTS has been associated with at least 81 deaths in the UK, along with numerous serious injuries. AstraZeneca faces lawsuits from over 50 alleged victims and bereaved relatives in a High Court case.

“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,” AstraZeneca said as quoted by the Telegraph.

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