AstraZeneca pulls Covid vaccine

AstraZeneca has pulled their Covid vaccine globally after admitting in court papers in “very rare cases” it could lead to blood clots.

The Oxford based pharmaceutical company has said that the vaccine saved “over 6.5 million lives” and will withdraw the vaccine from markets globally.

Over the past few months AstraZeneca admitted the rare side effects of the vaccine, called Vaxzevria can cause blood clots and low blood platelet counts and in “very rare cases” it can “cause TTS (Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome.)

In the UK there has been 81 deaths recorded and more than 50 victims and relatives are suing the pharmaceutical company in the High Court.

In a statement AstraZeneca 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.

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.”