AstraZeneca acknowledges rare side effect of COVID-19 vaccine in court documents

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Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has, for the first time, admitted in court documents that its COVID-19 vaccine can, in rare instances, cause thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), a condition involving blood clots and low platelet counts. This admission comes amidst a class action lawsuit alleging that the vaccine caused death and serious injury in dozens of cases.

The lawsuit was initiated by Jamie Scott, a father of two who suffered a permanent brain injury after developing a blood clot and brain bleed following his vaccination in April 2021. His case is one of many claiming severe adverse effects from the AstraZeneca vaccine.

While contesting the claims overall, AstraZeneca’s legal documents submitted to the High Court in February acknowledge that TTS can occur as a “very rare” side effect of the vaccine. This marks a shift from the company’s previous stance and could potentially open the door for significant legal payouts.

Lawyers representing the claimants argue that the vaccine’s side effects have had devastating consequences for a small number of families. They point to cases like Mr. Scott’s, where individuals have suffered life-altering injuries or even death after receiving the vaccine.

AstraZeneca maintains that the benefits of its vaccine in preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19 outweigh the risks of rare side effects. The company continues to defend itself in the ongoing legal proceedings.