Benzinga - by Vandana Singh, Benzinga Editor.
European pharma giant AstraZeneca Plc’s (NASDAQ:AZN) Covid vaccine, developed with the University of Oxford, is facing a class action lawsuit alleging its vaccine caused death and serious injury in numerous cases.
Lawyers representing the plaintiffs argue that the vaccine resulted in side effects for a small number of families, including brain injuries and fatalities.
AstraZeneca, while contesting the claims, has acknowledged in court documents that its vaccine can, in rare instances, cause Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), a condition characterized by blood clots and low blood platelet counts.
In the legal document submitted to the High Court in February, AstraZeneca said: “It is admitted that the AstraZeneca vaccine can, in very rare cases, cause TTS. The causal mechanism is not known.”
This admission follows a year of legal battles and could potentially lead to significant payouts for victims and their families.
However, AstraZeneca maintains that the causal mechanism behind TTS is not fully understood and that the condition can occur independently of its vaccine.
Meanwhile, lawyers argue that the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine is defective and its efficacy has been overstated. They claim that the vaccine has caused a new illness known as vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT), a subset of TTS, although AstraZeneca disputes the terminology.
AstraZeneca’s vaccine is no longer used in the UK, and under-40s are offered alternative jabs due to safety concerns.
Fifty-one cases have been filed in the High Court by victims and their families seeking compensation valued at approximately £100 million.
Read Next: COVAX Global Initiative For COVID-19 Vaccines Comes To An End Amid Shift To Regular Programs.
Price Action: AZN shares are up 0.44% at $75.50 at the last check Monday.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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