Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has begun withdrawing its Covid-19 vaccine worldwide, citing a surplus of newer vaccines targeting new virus variants.
AstraZeneca has initiated the global withdrawal of its Covid-19 vaccine due to a “surplus of available updated vaccines” that target new variants of the virus. The decision follows the company’s voluntary withdrawal of its European Union marketing authorization in March.
The European Medicines Agency issued a notice on May 7 that the vaccine is no longer authorized for use. AstraZeneca stated that the withdrawal was prompted by a decline in demand for its vaccine, as newer vaccines adapted to target Covid-19 variants became available.
The vaccine, now known as Vaxzevria, was authorized for use in those aged 18 and older, delivered as two injections, usually into the muscle of the upper arm, about three months apart. It was also used by some countries as a booster shot.
Vaxzevria is made up of another virus of the adenovirus family modified to contain the gene for making a protein from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. The vaccine does not contain the virus itself and cannot cause the virus.
Although the vaccine was found to be safe and effective overall, it carried the risk of a rare but serious side-effect, known as thrombosis with thrombocytopenia, or TTS, occurring in about two to three people per 100,000 vaccinated with Vaxzevria.
Prof Catherine Bennett, chair of epidemiology at Deakin University in Australia, emphasized the pivotal role the vaccine played in the global fight against the virus, particularly in the early days of the pandemic when limited vaccines were available.