AstraZeneca withdraws COVID vaccine amid market saturation and lawsuit woes

AstraZeneca, known for distributing over 3 billion coronavirus vaccine doses worldwide, is pulling its product off the market. The company cites an "excess of available versions" as the primary cause.

"As multiple, variant COVID-19 vaccines have since been developed there is a surplus of available updated vaccines," company representatives told Reuters, indicating that the decision to discontinue their vaccine is based on commercial reasons. This includes the overproduction relative to the evolving virus and the subsequent availability of newer vaccine formulations.

AstraZeneca also highlighted the significant impact of its vaccine, noting, "According to independent estimates, over 6.5 million lives were saved in the first year of use alone." The company has sold more than 3 billion doses to countries worldwide.

The British publication "The Telegraph," the first to break this story, revealed that AstraZeneca submitted a request to withdraw the COVID-19 vaccine on March 5. This came "in the months after" the company acknowledged in legal documents the possibility of side effects from the vaccine, including clotting disorders and a reduced platelet count. By Tuesday, May 7, the decision to remove the vaccine from the market was enacted.

A class-action lawsuit has been initiated against AstraZeneca. Among the cases brought forward is that of a father who suffered permanent brain damage from thrombosis after being vaccinated in 2021. "The hospital contacted his wife three times to prepare her for his possible death," reported "The Telegraph."

Source: Reuters, "The Telegraph," "The Guardian"