The British newspaper The Telegraph has revealed that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 will be withdrawn worldwide, following the pharmaceutical giant's acknowledgment that it may cause rare and serious side effects. The vaccine is no longer authorized for use in the European Union after the company voluntarily withdrew its "marketing authorization." The withdrawal request was submitted on March 5 and took effect on Tuesday. Similar requests will be made in the coming months in the UK and other countries that approved the vaccine known as Vaxzevria.
This decision to withdraw the AstraZeneca vaccine marks the end of its use, which Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed as "a triumph for British science," credited with saving over 6 million lives, according to a report published by The Telegraph and reviewed by Arabic Business. AstraZeneca stated that the vaccine was removed from the market for commercial reasons and that it is no longer being manufactured or supplied, as updated vaccines targeting new variants have replaced it.
The drug has undergone intense scrutiny in recent months due to a very rare side effect causing blood clots and lowered platelet counts. AstraZeneca acknowledged in documents submitted to the High Court in February that the vaccine "can, in very rare cases, cause clots." The vaccine has been linked to at least 81 deaths in the UK, along with hundreds of serious injuries. A lawsuit has been filed against AstraZeneca by over 50 alleged victims and their relatives in a case before the High Court in the UK.
However, AstraZeneca insisted that the decision to withdraw the vaccine is unrelated to the lawsuit or its acknowledgment of the potential for serious side effects. The company claimed that the timing was purely coincidental, according to the report reviewed by Arabic Business.
In a statement, AstraZeneca said: "We are extremely proud of the role Vaxzevria played in bringing an end to 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 provided globally. Our efforts have been recognized by governments around the world and are widely seen as a critical element in ending the global pandemic.
Moreover, with multiple evolving COVID-19 vaccines developed since then, there is a surplus of updated vaccines available. This has led to a decrease in demand for the vaccine, which is no longer being manufactured or supplied. Therefore, AstraZeneca made the decision to begin withdrawing marketing authorizations for the drug in Europe.
