The Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine is being withdrawn worldwide due to a rare but dangerous side effect, despite AstraZeneca claiming it is for commercial reasons. The vaccine has been linked to blood clots and deaths, leading to its removal from use in many countries. AstraZeneca states that newer vaccines are available to address variants of the virus.
Key Points
Withdrawn due to TTS side effect
AstraZeneca claims withdrawal is for commercial reasons
Newer vaccines developed to address novel variants
Pros
Vaxzevria vaccine saved over 6.5 million lives in the first year of use
Over three billion doses of the vaccine were supplied globally
Cons
Linked to rare but dangerous side effect of Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS)
Tied to at least 81 deaths in the UK and hundreds of injuries