AstraZeneca admits Covid vaccine could cause rare side effects in court filing

–Edited by : Swapnil Deshpande-

 

The relatively short shelf life of AstraZeneca Plc’s (AZN.L), opens new tab COVID-19 vaccine is complicating the rollout to the world’s poorest nations, according to officials and internal World Health Organization documents reviewed by Reuters. It is the latest headache to plague the COVAX vaccine-sharing project, co-led by the WHO and aimed at getting shots to the world’s neediest people. Initially, poorer countries and COVAX lagged richer countries in securing vaccine supplies, as wealthier nations used their financial might to acquire the first available doses.

AstraZeneca has conceded, for the first time in court documents, that its Covid-19 vaccine could lead to rare side effects, according to The Telegraph.

The vaccine, developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford, was distributed globally under various brand names, including Covishield and Vaxzevria.

The pharmaceutical giant is facing a class-action lawsuit alleging severe injuries and fatalities linked to its vaccine. Families of affected individuals have come forward, asserting that the AstraZeneca vaccine’s side effects have had devastating consequences.

This admission by AstraZeneca marks a turning point in the legal confrontation, shedding light on the potential risks associated with vaccination.

The lawsuit was spearheaded by Jamie Scott, who suffered a permanent brain injury after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine in April 2021. His case, along with others, highlights the grave impact of a rare side effect known as Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), characterised by blood clots and low platelet counts.

In documents submitted to the UK High Court, AstraZeneca acknowledged that its vaccine “can, in very rare cases, cause TTS.”

This admission follows protracted legal disputes and could result in substantial compensations if the company acknowledges vaccine-induced illness or death in specific instances.

Despite conceding to rare side effects, AstraZeneca refutes allegations of widespread vaccine defects or overstatement of efficacy.

The AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine is no longer administered in the UK due to safety concerns. While independent studies have demonstrated its effectiveness in combating the pandemic, the emergence of rare side effects has prompted regulatory scrutiny and legal action.