British-Swedish pharmaceutical and biotechnology company AstraZeneca has announced the global withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine, citing a reason for a "surplus of available updated vaccines" since the pandemic began. Additionally, the firm said it would remove the marketing authorisations for the vaccine Vaxzevria within Europe. Vaxzevria is one of the trade names of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
According to a report by Reuters, the company stated, "As multiple, variant COVID-19 vaccines have since been developed there is a surplus of available updated vaccines." The company further pointed out that as Vaxzevria is no longer produced or supplied, the demand for it has decreased.
The pharma company has previously acknowledged in court records that the vaccination causes adverse effects such as blood clots and low blood platelet counts.
The Telegraph, which first reported the story, stated that the company applied on March 5 to remove the vaccine, and it took effect on May 7.
In legal filings submitted to the United Kingdom High Court, AstraZeneca conceded that its COVID-19 vaccine "can, in very rare cases, cause TTS," referring to Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome. This syndrome can lead to blood clots and a low blood platelet count.
The initial lawsuit against the company was filed by Jamie Scott, a father of two, who received the vaccine at the age of 44. Ten days post-vaccination, Scott experienced fatigue, vomiting, and subsequent speech impairment, leading to a hospital visit.
Physicians diagnosed him with a suspected case of Vaccine-induced Immune Thrombocytopenia and Thrombosis (VITT), resulting in permanent brain injury. Scott's case is one of 51 filed against AstraZeneca, with claimants and bereaved families seeking damages potentially totaling up to £100 million.