AstraZeneca is removing its Covid vaccine worldwide, months after the pharmaceutical giant admitted it could cause a rare and dangerous side effect.
The jab, developed by the University of Oxford, can no longer be used in the European Union after the company voluntarily withdrew its ‘marketing authorisation’, which comes into effect today.
Similar applications to withdraw the vaccine will be made in other countries that had previously approved it, including Britain.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Authority stopped using the vaccine in April 2023.
The vaccine, once heralded as a ‘triumph for British science’, has come under intense scrutiny in recent months due to a very rare side effect causing blood clots and low platelet counts.
The AstraZeneca jab was most widely used in Britain during the initial rollout of the vaccination program – before it was linked to a risk of blood clots
AstraZeneca admitted in February that the vaccine could cause thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome in very rare cases – which has been linked to more than 80 deaths in Britain and hundreds of serious injuries.
More than fifty alleged victims and grieving family members are currently suing the company in a case before the Supreme Court.
However, AstraZeneca denies that the decision to withdraw the vaccine is related to the lawsuit, insisting that the vaccine is instead being withdrawn from the market for commercial reasons.
The company said in court documents that the vaccine is reportedly no longer being manufactured or supplied as it has been replaced by updated vaccines that address newer variants.
In a statement to the Daily Telegraph, the company said: ‘We are incredibly proud of the role Vaxzevria has played 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 delivered worldwide.
“Our efforts have been recognized by governments around the world and are widely regarded as a crucial part of ending the global pandemic.
Researchers believe the rare side effect occurs because the modified cold virus lurking in the jab has an adverse effect on platelets in the blood, causing clotting.
The graph shows the cumulative number of Covid jabs given out in Britain since the pandemic began, the percentage of each age group who have had a jab (bottom left) and the number of each Covid vaccine brand given out
‘As multiple variants of Covid-19 vaccines have since been developed, there is a surplus of available, updated vaccines.
‘This has led to a decrease in demand for Vaxzevria, which is no longer produced or supplied. AstraZeneca has therefore taken the decision to initiate the withdrawal of the marketing authorizations for Vaxzevria within Europe.
‘We will now work with regulators and our partners to determine a clear path forward to close this chapter and make a significant contribution to the Covid-19 pandemic.’