Covishield Maker AstraZeneca Withdraws Covid-19 Vaccine Globally, Cites 'Surplus Of Available Updated Vaccines'

New Delhi: Days after it was revealed that the British pharmaceutical giant had acknowledged that the COVID-19 vaccine may have rare side effects, AstraZeneca has now announced the global removal of the shot. Covishield, a vaccine created by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, was manufactured by the Serum Institute of India. 

Due to a "surplus of available updated vaccines" for COVID-19, the vaccine maker indicated that the global withdrawal was started for commercial reasons, according to The Telegraph. According to AstraZeneca, the vaccination has been replaced by revised shots that address novel variations. 

In the European Union, the business voluntarily withdrew its "marketing authorisation," stating that the vaccine was no longer in production and could not be administered. Other nations that have been using will also make similar withdrawals. 
The pharmaceutical company is being sued for a hundred million pounds in the UK on the grounds that the Covid vaccine resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries. In February, AstraZeneca acknowledged that Covishield may "in very rare cases, cause TTS or Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome" in a court declaration.

TTS has been connected to at least 81 deaths in the UK and causes blood clots and low blood platelet counts in people. AstraZeneca has denied any connection between the court case and the decision to discontinue Covishield. "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 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. 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," AstraZeneca said in a statement.

Experts predict that all "monovalent" vaccines, which protect against the original Covid strain, will be phased out and replaced with more recent vaccinations that protect against a variety of strains.