Anglo-Swedish drug maker Astra Zeneca is withdrawing its Covid-19 vaccine worldwide, Reuters reported quoting The Telegraph. “The vaccine can no longer be used in the European Union after the company voluntarily withdrew its marketing authorization,” the report said.
The application to withdraw was made on March 5 and came into effect two days later, the report said, adding that similar applications would be made in the UK and other countries that had approved the vaccine, known a Vaxzeveria, in the coming months. In India the vaccine is known as Covishield and is made by the Serum Institute of India.
The withdrawal follows the company’s admission that the jab can cause “rare side effects”. It’s production has stopped and it has been superseded by updated vaccines that tackle new variants, the drug maker AstraZeneca said.
The company is under pressure in the United Kingdom (UK) where it is facing potentially damaging lawsuits that the vaccine caused death and injuries to many people. The vaccine, Drug Maker AstraZeneca has admitted, can cause TTS or Thrombosis resulting in blood clots and low blood platelet count in humans and has been linked to at least 81 deaths in the UK.
But the company says the lawsuit is not the reason why the vaccine is being withdrawn. In a statement, AztraZeneca said “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.”
The company says it will work with regulators and partners to identify the way forward. Medical experts say they expect such vaccines that deal with the original Covid strain, to be replaced by updated vaccines that deal with a wide range of strains.
