London: AstraZeneca has admitted for the first time in court documents that its COVID-19 vaccine may lead to a rare side-effect.
Developed in collaboration with University of Oxford, AstraZeneca’s vaccine was sold globally under the brand names Covishield and Vaxzevria.
Covishield, manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India, was widely used in India in what was the world’s largest vaccination programme from January 2021.
AstraZeneca, a Cambridge-headquartered British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, faces a class-action lawsuit alleging serious injuries and deaths resulting from its vaccine.
Several families filed complaints in court alleging that the AstraZeneca vaccine’s side-effects have had devastating effects.
AstraZeneca’s admission is considered to be a key moment in the ongoing legal battle, highlighting potential risks associated with vaccination.
Jamie Scott, who suffered a permanent brain injury after being administered the AstraZeneca vaccine in April 2021, initiated the lawsuit.
Scott’s case, along with many others’, reveals the severe impact of a rare side-effect called Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), which leads to blood clots and low platelet counts.
AstraZeneca conceded in legal documents submitted to the UK High Court that its vaccine “can, in very rare cases, cause TTS.”
Even as AstraZeneca is contesting claims of widespread vaccine defects or overstatement of efficacy, the company may have to give substantial payouts following its admission, especially if it’s established that the vaccine induced illness or death in specific cases.
