Covid Vaccine Withdrawn By Producer After Admitting Dangerous Side Effect

AstraZeneca has announced the withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine, Vaxzevria, citing commercial reasons for declining demand.

The decision, disclosed in a statement on Tuesday, follows the company’s acknowledgement in court documents that the vaccine can cause a rare and dangerous side effect.

The company stated that Vaxzevria is no longer being manufactured or supplied due to the availability of updated vaccines targeting new variants.

The statement read:

“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 variants of 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 the significant contribution to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

AstraZeneca admitted in court documents filed with the High Court in February that its Covid vaccine can, in rare cases, cause Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), which is associated with blood clots and a low platelet count.

TTS has been linked to at least 81 deaths in the UK, along with many severe injuries. AstraZeneca is being sued by over 50 people who allege they’ve suffered from TTS.

However, the company insists that its decision to stop using the vaccine isn’t influenced by the ongoing legal battles or its acknowledgement of the vaccine’s potential connection to TTS.

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