Published :
AstraZeneca Withdraws Covid-19 Vaccine Globally
Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has initiated the global withdrawal of its Covid-19 vaccine, Vaxzevria, citing a "surplus of available updated vaccines" that target new variants of the virus.
Background
In March, AstraZeneca voluntarily withdrew its European Union marketing authorization for the vaccine, which is the approval to market a medicine in member states. On May 7, the European Medicines Agency confirmed that the vaccine is no longer authorized for use.
Reasons for Withdrawal
The availability of newer vaccines adapted to target Covid-19 variants has led to a decline in demand for the AstraZeneca vaccine. The company acknowledges that over 6.5 million lives were saved in the first year of use alone, with more than 3 billion doses supplied globally.
Other Countries' Actions
Several countries have already stopped supplying the AstraZeneca vaccine. In Australia, it has not been available since March 2023, as newer vaccines became widely accessible.
Vaxzevria: Composition and Safety
Vaxzevria, formerly known as the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, is made from a modified adenovirus containing the gene for making a protein from SARS-CoV-2. Although effective overall, it carried a rare but serious side effect called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia (TTS).
Professor Catherine Bennett, chair of epidemiology at Deakin University in Australia, emphasized the vaccine's pivotal role in the early days of the pandemic when limited vaccines were available.
