A nurse prepares a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19 at a vaccination center inoculating the third dose in people over 50 years old set up at the Sport City, in Mexico City, on 18 January 2022. Photo: AFP / PEDRO PARDO
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its Covid-19 vaccine due to a "surplus of available updated vaccines" since the pandemic.
The company also said it would proceed to withdraw the vaccine Vaxzevria's marketing authorisations within Europe.
"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 was no longer being manufactured or supplied.
According to media reports, the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker had previously admitted in court documents that the vaccine causes side-effects such as blood clots and low blood platelet counts.
The firm's application to withdraw the vaccine was made on 5 March and came into effect on 7 May, according to the Telegraph, which first reported the development.
London-listed AstraZeneca began moving into respiratory syncytial virus vaccines and obesity drugs through several deals last year after a slowdown in growth as Covid-19 medicine sales declined.
- Reuters