AstraZeneca says withdrawing Covid-19 vaccine globally after admitting rare side effect

British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca is withdrawing its Covid-19 vaccine globally weeks after it made a rare admission in a UK court that its vaccine can cause side effects in very rare cases.

AstraZeneca submitted the withdrawal application on March 5 in the EU and the application came into effect on May 7. The pharma major said it will make similar applications in the UK and other countries.

But, the firm said that it is removing the vaccine from the markets for commercial reasons and called timing as pure coincidence. Telegraph newspaper reported on May 7 that the vaccine is no longer being manufactured or supplied. AstraZeneca's vaccine was marketed as Covishield in India and was manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India.

In a statement, the company said: “We are incredibly proud of the role Vaxzevria played in ending the global pandemic. According to independent estimates, over 6.5 million lives were saved in the first year of use alone and over three billion doses were supplied globally.

“Our efforts have been recognised by governments around the world and are widely regarded as being a critical component of ending the global pandemic.

“As multiple, variant Covid-19 vaccines have since been developed, there is a surplus of available updated vaccines. This has led to a decline in demand for Vaxzevria, which is no longer being manufactured or supplied. AstraZeneca has therefore taken the decision to initiate withdrawal of the marketing authorisations for Vaxzevria within Europe.

“We will now work with regulators and our partners to align on a clear path forward to conclude this chapter and significant contribution to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Earlier, AstraZeneca admitted in court documents lodged with the High Court in February that the vaccine “can, in very rare cases, cause TTS”.

TTS stands for Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome. TTS involves blood clots in the brain or other parts of the body, along with a low platelet count. It has been linked to at least 81 deaths in the UK as well as hundreds of serious injuries. AstraZeneca is being sued by more than 50 alleged victims and grieving relatives in a High Court case.

Also read | AstraZeneca admits Covishield's side effects, here are things you can do to prevent blood-clotting