The UK-based pharma company AstraZeneca collaborated with the Serum Institute of India (SII) to produce and provide the Covishield vaccine worldwide.
The devastating pandemic caused by Covid-19 that claimed over 70 lakhs people globally is in its waning phase thanks to vaccination drive and worldwide awareness. The vaccine was administered to at least 80% of global population. With an 90% efficacy rate (mentioned in original AstraZeneca report), over 1.7 billion doses of Covishield were administered in India till date. However, the recent confession about side effects by AstraZeneca and sudden withdrawal from the market sent a shockwave among people.
In this article, we will discuss about the ongoing concerns regarding Covishield withdrawal from global market.
AstraZeneca has been fighting several lawsuits against Covishield vaccines, as it already claimed many lives across the globe. The first case was filed by Jamie Scott who faces blood clotting and bleeding in brain after getting the dose.
Sarah Moore, a partner at law firm Leigh Day, claimed: “In that context, regrettably it seems that AZ, the Government and their lawyers are more keen to play strategic games and run up legal fees than to engage seriously with the devastating impact that their AZ vaccine has had upon our clients’ lives.”
The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker admitted in a recent legal document that its Covid vaccines can cause Thrombosis Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) in rare cases.
Meanwhile, TTS is characterized by blood clots and low platelet counts.
Amid the safety concerns, the pharma giant said it has started to withdraw its vaccines worldwide due to a “surplus of available updated vaccines” and “decline in demand” from May 7, 2024.
The Supreme Court of India will soon hear a petition about the side effects associated with Covishield. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has acknowledged the need of an expert panel during hearing for proper investigation.
“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” AstraZeneca said in a recent statement.
Previously, the company showed its concern about public health: “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”
Developed in 2021, the Covishield vaccine has been facing scrutiny since its initial days of research.
Generally, it takes minimum 3-5 years of preclinical and clinical tests before mass administration. However, the researchers became busy in developing effective vaccine due to sudden outbreak Corona virus globally in 2020. Many experts raised eyebrows at the rushed rollout of vaccine.
Denmark was the first country to ban this vaccine in 2021 itself, which is followed by Thailand, Ireland, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Bulgaria, Iceland, Congo, Canada, and Sweden. Even Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia banned Covishield later.
If you have already taken Covishield, you should be under annual medical checkup to identify if there is unprecedented blood clotting anywhere inside the body.
