The AstraZeneca Covid vaccine is being withdrawn worldwide, months after the pharmaceutical giant admitted for the first time in court documents that it can cause a deadly side effect. The Telegraph has the story.
The vaccine can no longer be used in the European Union after the company voluntarily withdrew its ‘marketing authorisation’. The application to withdraw the vaccine was made on March 5th and came into effect on Tuesday.
Similar applications will be made in the coming months in the U.K. and in other countries that had approved the vaccine, known as Vaxzevria.
The decision to withdraw it brings to an end the use of the jab, which was heralded by Boris Johnson as a “triumph for British science” and credited with saving more than six million lives.
AstraZeneca said the vaccine was being removed from markets for commercial reasons. It said the vaccine was no longer being manufactured or supplied, having been superseded by updated vaccines that tackle new variants.
Vaxzevria has come under intense scrutiny in recent months over a very rare side effect, which causes blood clots and low blood platelet counts. AstraZeneca admitted in court documents lodged with the High Court in February that the vaccine “can, in very rare cases, cause TTS”.
TTS – which stands for Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome – has been linked to at least 81 deaths in the U.K. as well as hundreds of serious injuries. AstraZeneca is being sued by more than 50 alleged victims and grieving relatives in a High Court case.
But AstraZeneca has insisted the decision to withdraw the vaccine is not linked to the court case or its admission that it can cause TTS. It said the timing was pure coincidence.
In a statement the company said: “We are incredibly proud of the role Vaxzevria played in ending the global pandemic. According to independent estimates, over 6.5 million lives were saved in the first year of use alone and over three billion doses were supplied globally.
“Our efforts have been recognised by governments around the world and are widely regarded as being a critical component of ending the global pandemic.
“As multiple, variant COVID-19 vaccines have since been developed, there is a surplus of available updated vaccines. This has led to a decline in demand for Vaxzevria, which is no longer being manufactured or supplied. AstraZeneca has therefore taken the decision to initiate withdrawal of the marketing authorisations for Vaxzevria within Europe.
“We will now work with regulators and our partners to align on a clear path forward to conclude this chapter and significant contribution to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Worth reading in full.
Stop Press: Anti-Covid vaccine campaigners are now calling for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to be withdrawn. The Mail has more.
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The tosser!
17 quid will get me four pints of best bitter ……..choices, choices!!
Purely in the spirit of livening up a non-thread, because the article is evidently uninteresting AF to everyone, I will unapologetically do another off-territory dump here.
This is a cracking round-up of memes and links, old and new. Something for everyone, which I hope is a tad more interesting than ’50 shades of drab’ Harry;
https://www.unz.com/mwhitney/mikes-antivax-grab-bag-memes-blurbs-and-links/
Wow! Thanks for the link Mogs. What a library. I’ve bookmarked it.
YW
Spare me Prince Harry
Stand in the Park Make friends & keep sane
Sundays 10.30am to 11.30am
Elms Field
near Everyman Cinema & play area
Wokingham RG40 2FE
“99.9% of us on planet Earth are carrying round some form of grief, trauma or loss – the sooner we realise that, the sooner we can all get along.”
– One of whom is his own brother, with whom he can’t get along.
Guess the book isn’t selling too well?
South Park got it about right.
What a desperately silly boy.
If he’d called his biography “Up Yours, Ma’am”, I would’ve bought that. And a few more for Christmas presents.
Are people really still interested in this drivel? A slimmed down monarchy after the death of the Queen was always on the cards. We can do without the hangers on.
load of drivel.
I’ve analysed Harry as well. My conclusion is “he’s got a screw loose.”
The hewitt genes?