According to the British press The TelegraphAstraZeneca has admitted for the first time in court papers that its Covid-19 vaccine could cause serious side effects, in a face-off that looks set to pave the way for a multi-million dollar legal payout.
AstraZeneca is being sued in a class action over allegations that its vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford, has caused death and serious injury in dozens of cases.
Lawyers argue that the vaccine has had a negative impact on several families.
The first case was filed last year by Jamie Scottfather of two, who was left with a permanent brain injury after developing a blood clot and bleeding in the brain that prevented him from working after receiving the vaccine in April 2021. The hospital contacted his wife three times to tell her that her husband was going to die.
AstraZeneca disputes the claims, but has admitted, in a legal document submitted to the High Court in February 2024, that its Covid vaccine “could, in very rare cases, cause TTS rare”. TTS is a Thrombosis Thrombocytopenia Syndrome that causes people to have blood clots and a low platelet count.
51 cases have been filed in the High Court of England, with victims and relatives seeking damages estimated at up to £100 million (US$126 million).
AstraZeneca’s admission, made as a legal defense to the Supreme Court of Scott, followed by intense legal disputes. This could lead to payments if the pharmaceutical company agrees that the vaccine was the cause of serious illness and death in certain legal cases. The Government has pledged to support AstraZeneca’s legal costs.
Last February, AstraZeneca admitted:
The AZ vaccine can, in very rare cases, cause TTS. The causative mechanism is unknown. (…) In addition, TTS can also occur without AZ vaccine (or any vaccine). Causation in each individual case will be a matter of expert testimony.
Scott’s lawyers argue that the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine is “flawed” and that its effectiveness has been “very real.” However, AstraZeneca strongly denies this.
Scientists first identified a link between the vaccine and a new disease called immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT) as early as March 2021, shortly after the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine began.
The plaintiffs’ lawyers argue that VITT is a subset of TTS, although AstraZeneca does not appear to recognize the term.
The Government has exempted AstraZeneca from any legal action, but has so far refused to intervene.
Kate Scottwife JamesHe told the Telegraph:
The medical world has long recognized that VITT was caused by vaccination. Only AstraZeneca has questioned whether the vaccine caused Jamie’s condition. It took three years for this permission to come. It is progress, but we would like to see more from them and the Government. It’s time for things to move faster. I hope your permission means we can resolve this before it’s too late. We need an apology, fair compensation for our family and other families affected by this. We have the truth on our side, and we are not going to give up.
‘Patient safety is our top priority’
Sarah Moorea partner in a law firm Leigh Daywho is filing the legal claims, says:
It has taken AstraZeneca a year to formally admit that its vaccine can cause the devastating blood clots, when the clinical community has widely accepted this fact since late 2021.
In that context, unfortunately it seems that AZ, the Government and the lawyers are more interested in playing strategic games and collecting legal fees than in ‘ to be deeply involved with the devastating impact their AZ vaccine has had on the lives of our clients.
In a statement, AstraZeneca said:
Our condolences go out to anyone who has lost loved ones or reported health issues. Patient safety is our top priority, and regulatory authorities have clear and strict standards to ensure the safe use of all medicines, including vaccines.
However, the vaccine was announced when it was launched by the former president Boris Johnson as a “benefit for British science”, it is no longer used in the UK.
In the months after its launch, a possible negative effect of the vaccine was identified by scientists. It was then recommended that people under the age of 40 be offered another vaccine because the risk of the AstraZeneca vaccine was greater than the harm caused by Covid.
Official figures from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) show that at least 81 deaths in the UK are suspected to be linked to the serious reaction caused by clotting in people who had low levels of blood platelets too.
In total, nearly one in five people suffering from the condition died during that time, according to MHRA figures.
The Government runs its own vaccine compensation scheme, but alleged victims say the one-off payment of £120,000 (more than US$150,000) is inadequate.
Figures obtained under a Freedom of Information request show that, from February this year, of the 163 payments made by the Government, at least 158 were to recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
AstraZeneca is the UK’s second largest listed company, with a market capitalization of over £170 billion. Its boss, Sir Pascal Soriot, is the highest-paid boss among FTSE 100 companies, with an income of nearly £19 million (US$24 million).
2024-04-29 21:46:59
#AstraZeneca #admits #antiCovid #vaccine #thrombosis #aDiarioCR.com
