Two London lawsuits have been filed against Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca, including one from the husband of a woman who died after receiving its Covid-19 vaccine – in the first of potentially dozens of cases brought in England.
Britain was the first country to roll out the at-cost AstraZeneca vaccine in early 2021, although it later restricted the use of it among under 40s due to the small risk of blood clots, reports Reuters.
Anish Tailor, whose wife Alpa died in March 2021 after her first dose of the vaccine, filed a product liability claim against AstraZeneca in London’s High Court on 4 August. His lawyer Peter Todd, from the law firm Scott-Moncrieff & Associates, told Reuters he had nearly 50 other clients who would also formally sue in the coming months.
AstraZeneca declined to comment, but in a statement said: “Patient safety is our highest priority and regulatory authorities have clear and stringent standards to ensure the safe use of all medicines, including vaccines.”
It faces a similar lawsuit from Jamie Scott, who was diagnosed with vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia, which can cause fatal blood clotting, after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Scott filed a product liability lawsuit against AstraZeneca last Monday, and Hausfeld, the law firm representing him, said it represented about 40 other individuals or bereaved families.
The two cases are the first lawsuits brought in England and Wales over an adverse reaction to a Covid-19 vaccine, according to court records.
Reuters article – AstraZeneca facing two London lawsuits over COVID-19 vaccines (Open access)
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