London-based AstraZeneca has withdrawn its Covid jab worldwide, but says the discontinuation is unrelated to legal action related to serious side effects.
“As multiple, variant Covid-19 vaccines have since been developed, there is a surplus of available updated vaccines,” the Anglo-Swedish company said, which had “led to a decline in demand for Vaxzevria, which is no longer being manufactured or supplied”.
The firm’s application to withdraw the vaccine was made on 5 March and came into effect on 7 May, according to The Telegraph.
AstraZenevca had previously admitted in court documents that the vaccine causes side effects like blood clots and low blood platelet counts.
Legal action
In the UK, 51 families are currently pursuing legal action against the company, arguing its “defective” jab – around 50m doses were given in Britain – was to blame for their injuries and deaths of loved ones.
However, lawyers argue that the true number of people laid low by the rare but devastating TTS complication may never be known.
Sarah Moore, a partner at law firm Leigh Day, told MailOnline: “The criteria for what constituted TTS was really only published and made available to the clinical community from the beginning of March (2021).”
For some potential victims, time to seek compensation had run out.
“For the claims we are bringing, those injured or bereaved have three years from the date of their injury or the death in which to bring a claim, so unfortunately in many cases that cut off has now been reached,'” she said.
AstraZeneca denies that the decision to withdraw the vaccine is related to the court case, insisting that the vaccine is instead being removed from markets for commercial reasons.
The company said in court documents that the vaccine had been superseded by updated vaccines that tackle newer variants.
A spokesperson said: “We are incredibly proud of the role Vaxzevria played in ending the global pandemic.
“According to independent estimates, more than 6.5m lives were saved in the first year of use alone and more than 3bn doses were supplied globally.”
The company said that as multiple, variant Covid vaccines had since been developed, there was a surplus of available updated vaccines, and AstraZeneca “has therefore taken the decision to initiate withdrawal of the marketing authorisations for Vaxzevria within Europe”.
Side effects
According to figures collated by British drug watchdog, the MHRA, TTS, or vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), is thought to be linked to at least 81 deaths in the UK. Not all are proven, however. And not every family is seeking legal action.
TTS is where a person suffers blood clots along with a low platelet count. Platelets typically help the blood to clot.
The complication was listed as a potential side effect of the jab.
It is exceedingly rare, however, given the millions of doses dished out during the roll-out. The risk is thought to be in the region of one in 50 000.
AstraZeneca’s admission in court documents earlier this year could lead to pay-outs on a case-by-case basis.
Not for profit
AstraZeneca had manufactured the Oxford vaccine on a not-for-profit basis, the vaccine having saved more than 6m lives in its first year of use – more than any other Covid jab, an independent study had estimated.
But within a few months of the the vaccine’s roll-out, cases began emerging of a potential side effect from blood clots, and vaccine-induced immune thrombosis and thrombocytopenia (VITT) was eventually identified.
The cases were so rare they had not been identified in the global trials of the vaccine.
The Telegraph article – AstraZeneca withdrawing Covid vaccine worldwide (Restricted access)
Reuters article – AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
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