The British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company AstraZeneca acknowledges a rare side effect in its Covid-19 vaccine, Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), after immunization.
The initial cases came to light within months of the vaccination drives in Europe, with some countries temporarily halting the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The global pharmaceutical manufacturer developed the vaccine in collaboration with researchers from Oxford University.
The company said in a statement that the side effect is “extremely” rare and released a statement- “Our sympathy goes out to anyone who has lost loved ones or reported health problems.”
What prompted such a confession?
The pharma company is facing a class-action lawsuit which alleges severe harm and deaths caused by the vaccine. The lawsuit was spearheaded by Jamie Scott, who in the suit stated that he developed a “blood clot and a bleed on his brain”.
The complainant suffered permanent brain damage attributed to TTS after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine. The English High Court was approached to scrutinise the pharmaceutical giant in April 2021.
The legal challenge highlights the severe side effects of the vaccine and brings into light the precarious situation of several families who claim to have suffered similar tragic consequences.
Last year, in May 2023, during the instant suit hearing, AstraZeneca said, “We do not accept that TTS is caused by the vaccine at a generic level.”
Currently, fifty-one such cases have been filed in the English High Court, which could potentially cost the company millions of dollars.
What is TTS?
TTS, an acronym for Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, is a rare syndrome, characterised by blood clots(thrombosis), which reduce blood flow in an affected blood vessel and low platelet counts (thrombocytopenia), which aid in the blood’s ability to clot to prevent excessive bleeding.
It is also termed VITT, which stands for ‘vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia’.
Indian Scenario
The same vaccine, Covishield, was manufactured by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India after allying with AstraZeneca. The vaccine has been administered in 175 crore doses throughout India.
However, there is no need to panic, as the risk is not only rare but high only in the first few weeks after the first vaccination. Dr Gagandeep Kang, who was on the WHO safety advisory committee for COVID-19 vaccines, said, “It is most important to reassure people that the risk of TTS is shortly after vaccination. We are all long past vaccination now.”
