AstraZeneca admits that the COVID-19 vaccine may cause a rare side effect leading to blood clots

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has admitted for the first time that its COVID-19 vaccine may cause rare side effects that can lead to blood clots and death.

Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca is facing a class action lawsuit which alleges that the company's vaccine - developed in collaboration with Oxford University - can lead to death and serious injury.

The legal battle was initiated by Jamie Scott - who suffered a blood clot that caused him brain damage after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in April 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Scott is seeking compensation for claims that AstraZeneca's vaccine is "faulty" and less safe than expected. AstraZeneca has denied the allegation.

AstraZeneca vaccine can cause thrombocytopenic thrombocytopenia syndrome.

In May 2023, AstraZeneca affirmed that "we do not accept that TTS (Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia Syndrome) is caused by the vaccine at the general level " , as quoted by The Daily Telegraph newspaper.

TTS is a rare condition in which a person develops blood clots that can reduce blood flow when combined with a low platelet count, making it difficult to stop bleeding. TTS symptoms include severe headaches and stomach pain.

Despite previous denials, AstraZeneca said in documents submitted to the UK Supreme Court in February it " admitted that in very rare circumstances the AstraZeneca vaccine may cause TTS." The cause-and-effect mechanism has not been clearly determined."

According to the Telegraph, the pharmaceutical company added: "Furthermore, TTS can also occur in the absence of AstraZeneca vaccine (or any other vaccine)."

AstraZeneca asserted that available data shows the vaccine has an "acceptable safety profile" and that "regulatory authorities around the world have consistently stated that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks." extremely rare potential side effects."

Dozens of Western countries suspended use of AstraZeneca's vaccine in spring 2021 over concerns it could cause some patients to form blood clots. At the time, the head of vaccine strategy at the European Medicines Agency (EMA) - Mr. Marco Cavaleri - said that there was a clear link between AstraZeneca vaccination and blood clots in the brain but always maintained that The benefits of vaccination still outweigh the risks.

According to data from the World Health Organization, AstraZeneca's SARS-CoV-2 virus vaccine is 72% effective. According to the company, as of April 2021, more than 17 million people had received the vaccine in the EU and UK, with just under 40 cases of thrombosis reported.