AstraZeneca Admits Covishield Can Cause Rare Side Effect in Big U-Turn

AstraZeneca is currently facing a class action lawsuit in the UK regarding its Covishield vaccine, which can lead to rare cases of blood clots and a low platelet count, as stated in the company’s court documents. The vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, was produced by the Serum Institute of India and widely administered in the country. In the UK High Court, as many as 51 cases have been filed by victims seeking damages up to 100 million pounds, alleging that the vaccine caused deaths and severe injuries. The first complainant in the case, Jamie Scott, claimed that he suffered a permanent brain injury after receiving the vaccine in April 2021, leading to him being unable to work and receiving a grim prognosis from the hospital.

AstraZeneca has contested the claims, but admitted in court documents in February that Covishield can “in very rare cases, cause TTS,” which is a condition causing blood clots and a low blood platelet count in humans. AstraZeneca’s admission in a legal defence to Scott’s claim may result in payouts to the victims and their families, and it contradicts the company’s earlier stance that TTS is not caused by the vaccine at a generic level. However, AstraZeneca has denied claims that the vaccine is “defective” and that its efficacy is “vastly overstated”.