In a significant development, pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has taken the decision to recall its Covid-19 vaccine, produced in partnership with Oxford University, from distribution worldwide. This action follows months after the company acknowledged in a UK court the potential rare side effect of blood clotting associated with the vaccine.
AstraZeneca has voluntarily revoked the "marketing authorisation" for its Covid vaccine, marketed as Covishield in India and Vaxzevria in Europe. As reported by the Telegraph, this means the vaccine can no longer be administered in the European Union.
Although the company applied to withdraw the vaccine on March 5, the withdrawal officially took effect on Tuesday.
Acknowledging its role in saving over six million lives, AstraZeneca admitted in a legal filing submitted to the High Court in February that its Covid vaccine "can, in very rare cases, cause TTS" (Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Syndrome). This rare side effect can lead to the formation of blood clots and a decrease in blood platelet count, and has been associated with at least 81 deaths in the UK along with numerous severe injuries.
In addition to facing legal action from more than 50 alleged victims and bereaved families in a High Court case in the UK, AstraZeneca clarified that the decision to withdraw the vaccine is driven by "commercial reasons" and is unrelated to the ongoing court proceedings. The timing of the withdrawal, the company stated, is purely coincidental.
The surplus availability of updated vaccines, attributed to the emergence of multiple Covid variants and the development of related vaccines, has resulted in a decreased demand for Vaxzevria, which is no longer being produced or supplied. Consequently, AstraZeneca has opted to initiate the withdrawal of marketing authorisations for Vaxzevria within Europe.
The company emphasized its commitment to collaborating with global regulatory authorities to commence the withdrawal of marketing authorisations for Vaxzevria in regions where no future commercial demand for the vaccine is anticipated.
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