The AstraZeneca anti-Covid vaccine “in very rare cases can cause Tts”, the so-called ‘syndrome thrombosis with thrombocytopenia‘, characterized by blood clots and low blood platelet levels. The Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical group admitted this for the first time, as part of a class action lawsuit in the United Kingdom. The news, spread by the ‘Telegraph’, spread across the British media.
“The causal mechanism” by which the vaccine can cause TTS “is not known,” the company said in legal documents filed in February. “TTS – AstraZeneca also pointed out – can occur even in the absence of administration of the vaccine. The causal link in each individual case will be tested by experts”, added the company.
AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine, Covishield* – recalls the ‘Independent’ – was developed by the Anglo-Swedish giant in collaboration with the University of Oxford and produced by the Serum Institute of India. It has been widely administered in over 150 countries, including Britain and India. Some studies conducted during the pandemic had indicated an anti-Covid efficacy of 60-80% for the vaccine, but cases of thrombosis, even potentially fatal ones, were reported in some people who had received the injection.
Millionaire lawsuit against the company
Citizens in the UK who filed the class action lawsuit against AstraZeneca claim that the Covishield vaccine has caused deaths and serious injuries, seeking damages of up to £100m to compensate around 50 victims. One of the complainants reported that the vaccine caused a permanent brain injury, following a thrombotic event, which prevented him from working. While contesting the accusation, in one of the court documents filed AstraZeneca has acknowledged that the vaccine can cause TTS in very rare cases. Until now, however, the pharmaceutical group had always kept the point. Even in 2023, the Independent reports, he insisted on not accepting the general statement that TTS is caused by the vaccine.
WHO confirmation
The World Health Organization, recalls the Independent, confirmed that “after vaccination with Covishield, a very rare adverse event called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia has been reported, which involves unusual and serious blood clotting events associated with a low platelet count “. According to the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences, very rare side effects are defined as those reported in less than 1 case in 10,000. For the WHO, however, “in countries with ongoing Sars-CoV-2 transmission, the benefit of vaccination in protecting against Covid-19 far outweighs the risks”.
The position of Astrazeneca
“From the body of evidence collected in clinical studies and real-world data, it has been continuously demonstrated that the “anti-Covid” vaccine AstraZeneca-Oxford has an acceptable safety profile and regulatory bodies around the world consistently state that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of potentially extremely rare side effects.” This was stated by a spokesperson for the pharmaceutical group.
“Our solidarity – adds AstraZeneca – goes to anyone who has lost loved ones or reported health problems. Patient safety is our top priority and regulatory authorities have clear and rigorous standards to ensure the safe use of all drugs, including vaccines”.
The product information relating to the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine – available to the public – was updated in April 2021 with the approval of the British medicines agency MHRA, including the possibility that the vaccine could, in very rare cases, be a trigger of Tts.
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