AstraZeneca Initiates Global Withdrawal of COVID-19 Vaccine
AstraZeneca, a UK-based pharmaceutical major, partnered with Oxford University to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. That was sold in India as Covishield and as Vaxzevria in Europe. However, the company has initiated the global withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to an oversupply of updated vaccines and rare side effects of blood clotting and low platelet counts.
This decision comes days after AstraZeneca admitted to these rare side effects. And confirms that Vaxzevria (known as Covishield in India) is no longer authorized for use in the European Union. AstraZeneca will work with regulatory authorities worldwide to initiate marketing. Authorization withdrawals for Vaxzevria, where no future commercial demand for the vaccine is expected.
AstraZeneca Initiates Global Withdrawal of COVID-19 Vaccine
In India, over 220 crore dosages of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, and the majority of those were Covishield. AstraZeneca stated that it will work with regulators and partners to align on a clear path forward to conclude this chapter and significant contribution to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company also added that it was “incredibly proud” of the role Vaxzevria played in ending the global pandemic. According to independent estimates, over 6.5 million lives were saved in the first year of use alone, and over three billion doses were supplied globally. The company’s efforts have been recognized by governments worldwide. And are widely regarded as a critical component of ending the global pandemic.