AstraZeneca has recently admitted that its Covid-19 vaccine can result in blood clots in rare instances, marking a shift in the company’s stance on the matter. This revelation comes after AstraZeneca faced a class action lawsuit alleging that their vaccine, developed in collaboration with Oxford University, caused death and serious harm to a number of users.
The first lawsuit was filed by a user named Jamie Scott, who claimed the vaccine triggered blood clots and brain bleeding that left him unable to work. Since then, 51 lawsuits have been presented to the Supreme Court with victims seeking compensation totaling up to £100 million. While AstraZeneca continues to deny the allegations, the company did admit in a legal document to the high court in February that the vaccine could lead to venous thromboembolism with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) in extremely rare cases. However, AstraZeneca maintains that TTS can occur even without vaccination and stresses the importance of investigating each case of blood clotting specifically.
This admission by AstraZeneca follows a period of legal disputes that may prompt the court to require the company to compensate the plaintiffs involved. Notably, this shift in position contrasts with AstraZeneca’s previous stance in 2023, where they rejected the notion that blood clotting in users was directly linked to the vaccine. The World Health Organization has also acknowledged the rare side effect of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome after AstraZeneca vaccination.
Victims of these incidents have expressed frustration at the delayed response from the pharmaceutical company. Kate Scott, the wife of Jamie Scott, noted that it took three years for AstraZeneca to acknowledge the issue, calling for more decisive action from both the company and