AstraZeneca has announced the withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine, Vaxzevria, from global markets, including Canada, where it was initially deployed during the early stages of the pandemic. The European Medicines Agency disclosed on Wednesday that the approval for Vaxzevria had been revoked “at the request of the marketing authorization holder.”
Since its introduction in January 2021 in the United Kingdom, over three billion doses of the vaccine have been distributed. AstraZeneca attributed the decision to withdraw the vaccine to the surplus created by the development of multiple vaccines targeting newer variants of the coronavirus, leading to decreased demand for Vaxzevria. Consequently, the company has ceased its production and supply.
Dr. Samir Gupta, a respirologist at St Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, highlighted the significance of the entire process surrounding the AstraZeneca vaccine, from its creation, testing, and rollout to the identification of complications and the subsequent cessation of its distribution, emphasizing that it followed the expected trajectory for dealing with a novel pandemic virus.
AstraZeneca submitted its application to withdraw the vaccine on March 5, with the withdrawal officially taking effect on May 7, as reported by the Telegraph. Additionally, the Serum Institute of India (SII), which manufactured AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine under the name Covishield, ceased production and supply of doses in December 2021, according to an SII spokesperson.
In Canada, as of last year at least $2.8 was paid out by the Federal government for claimants who have suffered serious medical problems due to COVID-19 vaccines, including AstraZeneca’s. If you were affected by a COVID-19 vaccine, you can apply for a claim with the Federal government.
The UK High Court has received approximately 51 cases filed against the pharmaceutical company, alleging that its COVID-19 vaccine led to fatalities and severe injuries. According to the report, the claimants, including both affected individuals and bereaved family members, are pursuing damages amounting to an estimated value of up to £100 million.
While AstraZeneca is challenging these allegations, it acknowledged in a legal filing submitted to the High Court in February that its COVID-19 vaccine “can, in very rare instances, lead to TTS” (thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome), as reported.
These instances of rare blood clotting disorders prompted regulatory agencies in various countries to conduct reviews and investigations to assess the benefits and risks of the AstraZeneca vaccine. As a result, some regulatory bodies recommended restrictions on the use of the vaccine, such as limiting its administration to specific age groups or advising against its use in certain populations, while others maintained its authorization with updated safety information and recommendations for monitoring and management of potential adverse events.
Despite this, AstraZeneca keeps maintaining that the reasons for it pulling out the vaccine are not related to any ongoing lawsuits, but that is rather a purely economical decision.