New Delhi: AstraZeneca, a UK-based pharma company, has admitted in the court that that its Covid vaccine can cause rare side effects, The Telegraph (UK) has reported.
The pharma giant had developed the vaccine against Covid19, Covishield, in collaboration with Oxford University. The vaccine was produced and marketed in India by the Serum Institute of India (SII) during the pandemic phase and has been widely administered among the people.
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The pharma company stated in the UK high court that Covishied can cause, in rare cases, a condition that leads to blood clots and low platelet count. during the pandemic, was produced by the Serum Institute of India and widely administered in the country.
It was stated in the report that AstraZeneca is facing a class action lawsuit in the UK over claims that its vaccine caused deaths and severe injuries in several cases. Victims in as many as 51 cases in the UK High Court are seeking damages up to 100 million pounds.
However, the UK government, which has secured AstraZeneca from legal action, is yet to intervene in the matter.
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One of the complainants, Jamie Scott, had alleged that he suffered a permanent brain injury due to clotting of bloods, which was caused by the vaccine. He had taken Covishield vaccine in April 2021. The disease had prevented him from working and the hospital, where he was treated, had declared him a gone case. The doctors there had told his wife thrice that he’s going to die.
AstraZeneca contested the allegations, but in one of the court’s documents admitted that the vaccine can in very rare instances can lead to TTS (Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome). TTS is symptom, manifested by blood clots and a low blood platelet count in humans.
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“It is admitted that the AZ vaccine can, in very rare cases, cause TTS. The causal mechanism is not known…Further, TTS can also occur in the absence of the AZ vaccine (or any vaccine). Causation in any individual case will be a matter for expert evidence,” AstraZeneca stated.
Reports said that AZ’s admission of issues with its Covishield in its defence to Scott’s claim might allow the victims and their family members claim compensation from the pharma company.
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AZ’s admission of health complications in ‘rare cases’ contradicts the firm’s stand that was stated in 2023. The company had challenged Scott’s argument and said that “they do not accept that TTS is caused by the vaccine at a generic level”. However AZ had denied the claims tha its vaccine was defective and its efficacy was overstated.
A section of scientists had begun to link the Covishield with a new condition called the vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT) soon after the vaccine was rolled out for its use in emergency situation, Scott’s lawyers claimed that VITT was a subset of TTS. However,. AZ refused to acknowledge the claim.
