AstraZeneca announced on Tuesday that it’s pulling back its COVID-19 vaccine from around the world because there are plenty of newer vaccines available now that work better against the virus. According to The Telegraph, the vaccine maker said that the decision is based purely on commercial reasons due to a “surplus of available updated vaccines” for COVID-19.
The company chose to cancel its “marketing authorization” in the European Union, stating that the vaccine is no longer being made and that it can’t be used anymore. According to a Reuters report, the company said that they’re also stopping the sale of their vaccine, Vaxzevria, in Europe. They explained that since other vaccines have been made for different versions of COVID-19, fewer people want Vaxzevria, so they’re not making or selling it anymore.
The move comes shortly after AstraZeneca admitted that their vaccine can cause issues like blood clots and low blood platelets. In court documents from February, AstraZeneca acknowledged that Covishield can, in extremely rare instances, trigger TTS or Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome.
TTS results in blood clots and a decreased blood platelet count in humans, and it has been associated with at least 81 deaths in the UK. Nonetheless, the vaccine manufacturer has refuted any connection between the decision to withdraw Covishield and the court case. The pharmaceutical giant is facing a £100 million lawsuit in the UK.
