AstraZeneca Admits COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects: Legal Battles and Rare Complications Unfold
Watan-In a sudden move, the company AstraZeneca admitted that its COVID-19 vaccine could cause rare but fatal side effects due to blood clotting.
The pharmaceutical giant is being sued in a class-action lawsuit over allegations that its vaccine caused deaths and serious injuries in dozens of cases.
AstraZeneca acknowledged for the first time in court documents that its coronavirus vaccine could cause rare side effects, in a clear turn that could pave the way for legal compensation in millions of pounds.
Devastating Impact
The pharmaceutical giant is being sued in a class-action lawsuit over allegations that its vaccine, developed with the University of Oxford, caused deaths and serious injuries in dozens of cases.
Lawyers argue that the vaccine has had a devastating impact on a small number of families.
The Telegraph reported that the first case was filed last year by Jamie Scott, a father of two who suffered permanent brain damage after experiencing a blood clot and brain hemorrhage that left him unable to work, after receiving the vaccine in April 2021. The hospital called his wife three times to inform her that her husband would not survive.
AstraZeneca has contested these claims, but it admitted in a legal document submitted to the Supreme Court in February that its coronavirus vaccine “may, in very rare cases, cause TTS.”
TTS stands for blood clotting with thrombocytopenia syndrome and leads to people developing blood clots and a decrease in platelet count.
The source added that 51 cases have been filed before the Supreme Court, where victims and their bereaved relatives seek compensation estimated at up to £100 million.
Legal Wrangling
AstraZeneca’s admission comes in a legal defense filed in Mr. Scott’s case before the Supreme Court following intense legal wrangling.
This could lead to payouts if the pharmaceutical company accepts that the vaccine was the cause of serious illness and death in specific legal cases. The government has pledged to ensure legal immunity for AstraZeneca.
Lawyers argue that the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine is “flawed” and its efficacy “greatly exaggerated” — a claim vehemently denied by AstraZeneca.
Immune Thrombocytopenia
Scientists first identified a link between the vaccine and a new condition called vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT) in early March 2021, shortly after the COVID-19 vaccine rollout began.
Kate Scott, Mr. Scott’s wife, told The Telegraph: “The medical world has long recognized that VITT is vaccine-induced. She added that AstraZeneca is the only one questioning whether Jamie’s condition was vaccine-induced.
Sarah Moore, a partner at the law firm Leigh Day, which is handling the legal claims, said: “It took AstraZeneca a year to officially acknowledge that its vaccine could cause devastating blood clots. While this fact has been widely accepted by clinicians since the end of 2021.”
AstraZeneca said in a statement: “We sympathize with anyone who has lost loved ones or reported health problems. Patient safety is our top priority, and regulatory authorities have clear and stringent standards to ensure the safe use of all medicines, including vaccines.”
Through a body of evidence from clinical trials and real-world data, AstraZeneca’s vaccine safety profile has consistently been proven to be acceptable.
Regulators worldwide continue to assert that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the extremely rare potential side effects.
The company points out that the product information related to the vaccine was updated in April 2021, with the approval of the UK regulatory authority, to include “the possibility that the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine may, in very rare cases, trigger coronavirus infection.”
Official figures from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) show that at least 81 deaths in the UK are suspected to be linked to the negative reaction that caused blood clotting in people who also had a low platelet count.
