High Alert! AstraZeneca acknowledges the Covishield vaccine’s potential for Rare but Severe Side Effects

AstraZeneca formally acknowledges the potential occurrence of rare adverse reactions linked to its COVID-19 vaccine, signaling a significant reversal that could pave the way for substantial legal settlements in its legal document. 

As per the reports, AstraZeneca has officially acknowledged the potential occurrence of a rare adverse effect associated with its COVID-19 vaccine for the first time in legal documentation. The AstraZeneca vaccine was marketed globally under brand names like Covishield and Vaxzevria. This acknowledgment was disclosed in a legal filing submitted to the UK High Court in February, as cited by multiple news sources.

In the document, the company conveyed that a rare adverse effect termed thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) may manifest, even in cases where vaccination has not occurred. 

Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome is a rare blood clotting condition that occurs when the patient has blood clots (thrombosis) and a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia). These blood clots can occur in body parts, such as the brain, abdomen, lungs, limb veins, and arteries. Its symptoms include severe, persistent headaches, blurred vision, difficulty speaking, drowsiness, seizures or confusion, difficulty in breathing, chest pain, leg swelling, persistent abdominal pain, and tiny blood spots under the skin away from the injection site. 

AstraZeneca draws attention to the necessity for expert evaluation to ascertain causality in every individual, stating, "It is acknowledged that the AZ vaccine can, in rare instances, induce TTS. The precise causal mechanism remains undetermined."

Developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford, AstraZeneca's vaccine underwent production in India by the Serum Institute of India (SII) based in Pune. As per data from the government's CoWIN vaccine dashboard, 1,749,417,978 doses of the Covishield vaccine have been administered in India, making it the world's most extensive vaccination campaign since January 2021.

The British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation, headquartered in Cambridge,  confronted a class-action lawsuit alleging that its vaccine has resulted in severe injuries and fatalities.