AstraZeneca recently conceded in court documents that its COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield, carries a potential for a rare but serious side effect known as Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS).
TTS involves blood clots accompanied by low platelet levels and can occur in various parts of the body, including the brain and abdomen.
This admission comes amidst a legal battle against the company regarding alleged injuries and deaths linked to the vaccine. It's important to note that health authorities like India's ICMR have maintained that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination far outweigh the risks, and that TTS is an extremely uncommon occurrence.
But Why This Matter Reached Court ?
AstraZeneca has been fighting a class action lawsuit that alleges its Covid vaccine, which was developed with the help of University of Oxford, has led to several deaths and serious injury.
According to the attorneys, some households faced a "devastating effect" of the vaccination.
Last year, Jamie Scott, the father of two, filed a first complaint against the British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company.
In his complaint, Scott mentioned that he developed a "blood clot and a bleed on his brain”, leaving him with a severe brain impairment.
He blamed his situation on AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, which he received in April 2021.
The hospital even informed his wife that Scott would not be able to survive.
AstraZeneca is fighting these claims in the court.
Responding to Scott's lawyers in May 2023, AstraZeneca said that "we do not accept that TTS is caused by the vaccine at a generic level”.
What is TTS ?
TTS stands for Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome. It is a rare condition that involves blood clots forming in unusual places in the body, along with a low number of platelets in the blood. Platelets are small cells that help blood to clot, so having too few of them can be dangerous.
COVISHIELD in India
Pune-based pharma firm Serum Institute of India (SII) entered into a strategic partnership with AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford in January 2021 to manufacture the Covishield vaccine for India and other low- and middle-income countries.
As of 2022, over 1.7 billion doses of Covishield were administered in India as part of the world's largest vaccination program.
The AstraZeneca vaccine, with its relatively simple storage requirements (it can be stored for up to 6 months), has played a crucial role in vaccination campaigns worldwide.
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