AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine can lead to a rare blood clotting condition, the pharmaceutical company has admitted to a UK court for the first time – paving the way for a multi-million pound legal payout, media reports said.
AstraZeneca, in collaboration with The University of Oxford, had developed AZD1222 vaccine after the coronavirus broke out in 2020. In India, it was manufactured and supplied under the name Covishield by the Serum Institute of India (SII).
The pharmaceutical company is being sued over claims that its vaccine against Covid-19 caused death and serious injury, including TTS — Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome — which causes people to have blood clots and a low blood platelet count.
According to The Telegraph, while it is contesting the claims, AstraZeneca admitted in a legal document submitted to the High Court in February that its Covid vaccine ‘can, in very rare cases, cause TTS’.
Lawyers have argued that the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine is ‘defective’ and that its efficacy has been ‘vastly overstated.’ AstraZeneca has strongly denied these claims. 51 cases have been lodged in the High Court, with victims and grieving relatives seeking damages estimated to be worth up to £100 million, the report stated.
“Our sympathy goes out to anyone who has lost loved ones or reported health problems. Patient safety is our highest priority, and regulatory authorities have clear and stringent standards to ensure the safe use of all medicines, including vaccines,” AstraZeneca said.
According to the World Health Organisation, the vaccine was “safe and effective for all individuals aged 18 and above” and the adverse effect that has prompted the legal action was “very rare”.
