AstraZeneca is withdrawing its Covid vaccine worldwide, months after the pharmaceutical giant admitted it could cause a rare and dangerous side effect.
The vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford, can no longer be used in the European Union after the company voluntarily withdrew its “marketing authorization”, which comes into force today.
Similar requests to withdraw the vaccine will be made in other countries that previously approved it, including the United Kingdom.
The vaccine, once touted as a “triumph of British science”, has come under scrutiny in recent months due to a very rare side effect causing blood clots and low platelet counts.
The AstraZeneca vaccine was most widely used in the UK during the initial rollout of the vaccination program – before it was linked to a blood clot risk.
AstraZeneca admitted in February that the vaccine could, in very rare cases, cause thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome – which has been linked to more than 80 deaths in Britain as well as hundreds of serious injuries.
More than 50 alleged victims and grieving relatives are currently suing the company in the High Court.
However, AstraZeneca denies that the decision to withdraw the vaccine is linked to the trial, insisting that the vaccine is instead being withdrawn from markets for commercial reasons.
The company said in court documents that the vaccine would no longer be manufactured or supplied, having been replaced by updated vaccines that tackle new variants.
In a statement to The Daily Telegraph, the company said: “We are incredibly proud of the role Vaxzevria is playing in ending the global pandemic.
“According to independent estimates, more than 6.5 million lives were saved in the first year of use alone and more than three billion doses were supplied worldwide.
“Our efforts have been recognized by governments around the world and are widely seen as a critical part of ending the global pandemic.
Researchers believe this rare side effect is because the modified cold virus hidden in the vaccine has a detrimental effect on platelets in the blood, triggering clotting.
The graph shows the cumulative number of Covid vaccines administered in the UK since the start of the pandemic, the percentage of each age group who have received a vaccine (bottom left) and the number of each brand of Covid vaccine administered .
“As several Covid-19 variant vaccines have since been developed, there is a surplus of updated vaccines available.
“This has led to a drop in demand for Vaxzevria, which is no longer manufactured or supplied. AstraZeneca has therefore taken the decision to initiate the withdrawal of the marketing authorizations for Vaxzevria in Europe.
“We will now work with regulators and our partners to align on a clear path to conclude this chapter and contribute meaningfully to the Covid-19 pandemic.”
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