The Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is being withdrawn worldwide due to concerns over a rare and dangerous side effect. This decision comes after the pharmaceutical giant acknowledged in court documents that the vaccine can cause a rare condition called Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), which involves blood clots and low blood platelet counts.
AstraZeneca disclosed that the vaccine is being removed from markets for commercial reasons and no longer manufactured or supplied. The withdrawal of the vaccine’s marketing authorization was initiated in the European Union, with similar applications to be made in the UK and other countries where the vaccine was previously approved.
Despite being hailed as a triumph for British science and credited with saving millions of lives, the vaccine’s withdrawal is attributed to a decline in demand due to the availability of updated vaccines targeting new variants of the virus.
While the vaccine faced scrutiny due to its rare side effect, AstraZeneca maintains that the decision to withdraw it is unrelated to ongoing court proceedings or their acknowledgment of the vaccine’s potential association with TTS. They stated that the timing of the withdrawal is coincidental.
The company expressed pride in the role Vaxzevria (Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine) played in ending the global pandemic and emphasized their commitment to working with regulators and partners to conclude this chapter and contribute to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.
