In a recent development, AstraZeneca has acknowledged the potential for rare but serious blood clot side effects associated with their COVID-19 vaccine. This revelation came to light in court documents filed as part of an undisclosed legal case.
AstraZeneca collaborated with the University of Oxford to develop the vaccine and is currently involved in legal proceedings initiated by victims and their families.
One particular case includes Jamie Scott, a father of two, who took legal action after experiencing a blood clot that rendered him unable to work. Scott claims that following his vaccination in April 2021, he developed a “blood clot and a bleed on his brain,” resulting in a lasting brain injury.
Credit: The Telegraph
The specific side effect mentioned is Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), which involves unusual blood clotting combined with low platelet counts. While this is a very rare occurrence, it’s crucial for individuals to be aware of the potential risks.
AstraZeneca, marketed as Covishield in India, has also expressed its sympathy for those affected. “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,” said an AstraZeneca spokesperson.
The pharmaceutical company maintained that the vaccine’s safety and efficacy are consistently supported by extensive clinical trial data and real-world evidence. Regulatory agencies worldwide continue to state that the benefits of vaccination are greater than the risks of these extremely rare side effects.
According to multiple reports from UK media, AstraZeneca has acknowledged in court papers related to a lawsuit claiming that the vaccine, created in partnership with the University of Oxford, resulted in fatalities and severe harm in numerous instances.
AstraZeneca had also partnered with the Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine producer, to supply the vaccine to the Indian Government. The Serum Institute of India has developed the Covishield without utilizing the mRNA platform. The vaccine was created using the viral vector platform.
Meanwhile, the parents of Karunya, a data science student who allegedly died after taking Covishield in 2021, have decided to file a case against the Serum Institute of India (SII). This decision came a day after AstraZeneca, which sold the vaccine in India, admitted in court that their Covid shot can cause a rare side effect.
Notably in 2023, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said in its report that TTS emerged as a new adverse event following immunization in individuals vaccinated with COVID-19 non-replicant adenovirus vector-based vaccines.
“TTS is a serious and life-threatening adverse event. WHO has issued this interim emergency guidance to increase awareness about TTS in the context of COVID-19 vaccination and help healthcare providers in the assessment and management of potential TTS cases,” the 2023 statement by WHO read.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in March 2024 at “Dialogues – Navigating India’s health sector’ said that ICMR has done a detailed study which shows that the COVID-19 vaccine is not responsible for heart attacks, and an individual’s lifestyle and factors such as binge drinking could be among underlying causes.
Mandaviya said, “If someone has a stroke today, they think it is because of the Covid vaccine. ICMR has done a detailed study that the (Covid) vaccine is not responsible for heart attacks.”
Notably, concerns about blood clot risks with the AstraZeneca vaccine have existed for some time. In 2021, several European countries temporarily paused their use of the vaccine due to these concerns.
However, health organizations have maintained that the benefits of the vaccine in preventing COVID-19 far outweigh the risks of rare side effects, despite the possibility of rare blood clots and low blood platelets.
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