AstraZeneca reaffirms Covid-19 vaccine safety amid concerns: ‘Sympathy goes to…’

Amid the concerns surrounding potential rare side effects of the AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 vaccine, the pharmaceutical giant on Wednesday re-affirmed its vaccine safety, saying that “patient safety” is their “first priority”.

“Our sympathy goes out to anyone who has lost loved ones or reported health problems. Patient safety is our highest priority, and regulatory authorities have clear and stringent standards to ensure the safe use of all medicines, including vaccines,” a spokesperson for AstraZeneca said in a statement.

The company's statement comes days after it accepted that its Covid vaccines ‘Covishield’ and ‘Vaxzevria’ can, in very rare cases, cause Thrombosis Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) - a rare syndrome characterized by blood clots (thrombosis) and low platelet counts (thrombocytopenia).

AstraZeneca admitted in a legal document submitted to the High Court in February.

However, it also noted that TTS can be detected, even if there is no vaccination, adding that expert testimony will be required to determine causation in every individual case.

Despite this, the pharmaceutical company has maintained that extensive clinical trial data and real-world evidence consistently support the vaccine's safety and efficacy.

Lawsuit against AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca has been fighting a class action lawsuit, alleging that its Covid vaccine has led to several deaths and serious injuries. The lawsuit began with an individual Jamie Scott, who filed the first complaint against the pharmaceutical company saying that he developed a “blood clot and bleed on his brain which left him with a severe brain impairment” after injecting the vaccine.

According to Scott, he received AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine in April 2021, following which he developed a serious brain condition.

Apart from this, a total of 51 cases have been filed in the court, in which victims and their families are demanding damaged in excess of over 100 million euros from the company.

(With inputs from ANI)