What happened?

  • AstraZeneca has begun to withdraw its COVID-19 vaccine, Vaxzevria, from the global market.
  • Vaxzevria was one of the first COVID-19 vaccines released during the pandemic and is estimated to have saved over 6 million lives in its first year of use. [bbc.com, theguardian.com]
  • The vaccine’s reputation was affected by rare side effects like blood clots, leading to a drop in sales and competition from updated vaccines.
  • Astra mentioned the decision was not due to safety reasons.

What is conservative media saying:

  • AstraZeneca has decided to withdraw Vaxzevria due to concerns about the vaccine’s safety, including rare blood clots and Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), which was associated with at least 81 deaths in the UK. [theblaze.com, townhall.com, washingtontimes.com, newsmax.com, infowars.com]
  • The decision was welcomed by those representing alleged victims of the vaccine. [theblaze.com, infowars.com]
  • Victims and their families have reported severe reactions to the vaccine, including fatal thrombosis and lasting disabilities, and the government’s vaccine damage payment scheme has been criticized for not providing sufficient compensation to victims. [infowars.com]
  • The Australian government has paid out over $16.9 million in COVID-19 vaccine injury claims since the pandemic, with the policy updated in April 2023 to include more claimable conditions based on TGA advice. [theepochtimes.com]

What is liberal media saying:

  • The World Health Organisation has issued new recommendations suggesting COVID-19 vaccines should target specific variants of the virus, leading to the withdrawal of the AstraZeneca vaccine. [theguardian.com]
  • AstraZeneca has voluntarily withdrawn the marketing authorization for Vaxzevria in the European Union and has begun the process of withdrawing the vaccine from markets in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. [bbc.com]
  • The AstraZeneca vaccine was praised as “a vaccine for the world” in 2020, being cost-effective and easy to store, and played a significant role in combating the pandemic along with other vaccines like Pfizer. [bbc.com]
  • AstraZeneca acknowledged that Vaxzevria can potentially cause life-threatening blood clots, a condition known as TTS/VITT, and legal action was initiated against the company by individuals who claimed serious health issues or loss of loved ones after vaccination. [bbc.com]
  • The decision was driven by a decline in demand and the availability of newer vaccines targeting new variants. [nytimes.com, theguardian.com, bbc.com, cnn.com]

Sources: