In a significant development, pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has conceded that its Covishield vaccine may lead to rare side effects, including blood clots and low platelet count.
The admission comes amid a class-action lawsuit against the company, alleging death and serious injury caused by the vaccine in numerous cases.
According to court documents reported by The Telegraph, AstraZeneca stated, “It is admitted that the AZ vaccine can, in very rare cases, cause Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS). The causal mechanism is not known.”
Covishield, developed in collaboration with Oxford University and produced by the Serum Institute of India, gained widespread usage in over 150 countries during the Covid-19 pandemic.
While studies indicated the vaccine’s efficacy in protecting against the novel coronavirus, some complainants reported severe adverse effects. One individual claimed a permanent brain injury due to a blood clot induced by the vaccine, hindering their ability to work.
This admission by AstraZeneca marks a departure from its previous stance in 2023, when it refused to accept a causal link between TTS and the vaccine, as reported by The Independent.
The identification of a connection between the vaccine and a new condition known as vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT) by scientists in March 2021 added complexity to the situation.
While the UK government has provided indemnity to AstraZeneca against legal action, it has refrained from intervening, as noted by The Telegraph.
According to the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences, “very rare” side effects are those observed in fewer than 1 in 10,000 cases.
