AstraZeneca Admits Its COVID-19 Vaccine Can Cause Side Effects

British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has admitted that the COVID-19 vaccine it rolled out in 2021 may cause rare side effects. The company was contesting the claims of serious side effects for its product in the United Kingdom High Court. Notably, the pharmaceutical giant has accepted that its COVID-19 vaccine can, in very rare cases, cause Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), the Telegraph reported. The TTS causes blood clots and a low blood platelet count in the people.

In India, AstraZeneca-developed Covishied was widely administered during the pandemic. The vaccine was produced by the Serum Institute of India.

AstraZeneca has been facing action suits over the allegations that its COVID-19 vaccination caused serious injuries or  death of dozens. In the documents submitted to the Court, the company has, for the first time, admitted the side effect claims of its COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccines were made in collaboration with Oxford University. 

The first case was registered on the petition given by the 44-year-old Jamie Scott. He complained that 10 days after receiving the vaccine, he experienced tiredness and started vomiting leading to his speech impairment. After examination by the doctors, Scott was diagnosed with a suspected case of Vaccine-induced Immune Thrombocytopenia and Thrombosis (VITT).

Following the incident, at least 51 cases were registered against the pharmaceutical company. Many claimed damages worth $125.36 million.

In May 2023, the pharma company lawyers had contended the claims saying that the company do not accept that TTS is caused by the vaccine at a generic level. 

Notably, the company in February this year admitted that the “Astra Zeneca vaccine can, in very rare cases, cause TTS and the causal mechanism is not known.”

The company in its document further said that the TTS can happen in the absence of the AZ vaccine or any vaccine, and the causation in any individual case will be a matter for expert evidence. 

Jamie Scott’s wife argued that the medical world has acknowledged for a long time that VITT was caused by the vaccine. “It’s only AstraZeneca who have questioned whether Jamie’s condition was caused by the jab,” the wife said, Telegraph reported. 

Scott’s wife further said that company took three years for admission while expressing hope for active and quick action from the company and the government. 

“I hope their admission means we will be able to sort this out sooner rather than later. We need an apology and fair compensation for our family and other families who have been affected. We have the truth on our side, and we are not going to give up,” she added.