Following recent reports acknowledging rare side effects associated with its COVID-19 vaccine, AstraZeneca has commenced a worldwide recall of the jab. The vaccine, developed in collaboration with Oxford University and produced as Covishield by the Serum Institute of India, is being withdrawn due to both commercial reasons and the emergence of updated vaccines targeting new variants, according to The Telegraph.
The pharmaceutical company voluntarily revoked its “marketing authorization” in the European Union, ceasing production and discontinuing the vaccine’s use. Similar actions are expected across other countries where the vaccine has been administered.
AstraZeneca faces legal challenges, including a £100 million lawsuit in the UK, over allegations of the vaccine causing fatalities and injuries. In February, court documents revealed the company’s admission that Covishield could, in rare instances, induce Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), a condition linked to blood clots and low blood platelet counts, which reportedly resulted in at least 81 deaths in the UK. However, AstraZeneca denies any correlation between the withdrawal decision and ongoing legal proceedings.
In a statement, AstraZeneca emphasized its vaccine’s significant impact in combating the pandemic, with over 6.5 million lives estimated to have been saved in the first year of use and more than three billion doses supplied globally. As newer COVID-19 vaccines targeting various strains become available, AstraZeneca intends to collaborate with regulators and partners to navigate this transition.
Experts anticipate the withdrawal of all “monovalent” vaccines addressing the original COVID-19 strain, to be replaced by updated formulations designed to tackle a broader spectrum of variants.
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