AstraZeneca, the company behind the COVID-19 vaccine, has acknowledged rare side effects like blood clots and low platelet counts. They say these happen very rarely and are focused on keeping patients safe. In the UK, there was a big lawsuit where the company admitted that the vaccine can cause a rare syndrome called Thrombosis Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) in very rare cases.
“Our sympathy goes out to anyone who has lost loved ones or reported health problems. Patient safety is our highest priority, and regulatory authorities have clear and stringent standards to ensure the safe use of all medicines, including vaccines,” AstraZeneca said in a statement.
Regulatory agencies worldwide continue to maintain that the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks posed by exceedingly rare side effects.
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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has described the vaccine as “safe and effective for all individuals aged 18 and above“, with the adverse effect that has prompted the legal action being “very rare“.
The Serum Institute of India developed the Covishield COVID-19 vaccine using a viral vector platform rather than mRNA technology. This vaccine employs a modified chimpanzee adenovirus, ChAdOx1, to transport the COVID-19 spike protein into human cells. While this cold virus cannot effectively infect recipients, it effectively “teaches” the immune system to defend against similar viruses.
