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AstraZeneca have initiated a programme of withdrawing covid-19 vaccines globally this week due to a wide-scale surplus in demand following the pandemic. The company also said it would proceed to withdraw the vaccine Vaxzevria's marketing authorisations within Europe.
AstraZeneca's application to withdraw the vaccine was made on March 5 and came into effect on May 7, according to the Telegraph, which first reported the development. This follows reports that the Anglo-Swedish drug maker admitted in court that their vaccine had the potential in rare cases to cause side effects such as blood clots and low blood platelet counts.
In a statement the company said: “We are 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. Our efforts have been recognised by governments around the world and are widely regarded as being a critical component of ending the global pandemic. As multiple, variant Covid-19 vaccines have since been developed, there is a surplus of available updated vaccines. This has led to a decline in demand for Vaxzevria, which is no longer being manufactured or supplied. AstraZeneca has therefore taken the decision to initiate withdrawal of the marketing authorisations for Vaxzevria within Europe. We will now work with regulators and our partners to align on a clear path forward to conclude this chapter and significant contribution to the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Following this slowing trend, AstraZeneca have side-stepped away from covid vaccinations opting to focus more on obesity drugs and respiratory syncytial virus vaccines.