AstraZeneca to withdraw COVID-19 vaccine

AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a “surplus of available updated vaccines” since the pandemic.

The company also said it would withdraw the vaccine Vaxzevria’s marketing authorizations within Europe.

“As multiple variant COVID-19 vaccines have since been developed, there is a surplus of available updated vaccines,” the company said, adding that this had led to a decline in demand for Vaxzevria, which is no longer being manufactured or supplied.

According to media reports, the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker has previously admitted in court documents that the vaccine causes side effects such as blood clots and low platelet counts.

The Telegraph, which first reported the development, reported that the firm’s application to withdraw the vaccine was made on March 5 and came into effect on May 7.

London-listed AstraZeneca began moving into respiratory syncytial virus vaccines and obesity drugs through several deals last year after a slowdown in growth as COVID-19 medicine sales declined.