THE Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine was withdrawn due to lack of demand and not because of safety concerns, the UK pharmaceutical company said.

“As multiple variant Covid-19 vaccines have since been developed, there is a surplus of available updated vaccines,” it said in a statement.

“This has led to a decline in demand for Vaxzervria, which is no longer being manufactured or supplied.

“AstraZeneca has therefore taken the decision to initiate withdrawal of the marketing authorisations for Vaxzevria within Europe.”

It said the Vaxzevria shots had played a big role in ending the global pandemic, adding that over 6.5 million lives were saved in the first year of use alone. The company said it supplied three billion doses worldwide.

“Our efforts have been recognised by governments around the world and are widely regarded as being a critical component of ending the global pandemic.”

The company was responding to a report yesterday stating the vaccine would be take off the market after the pharmaceutical giant admitted it could cause a rare and potentially dangerous side effect.

In a report in the Telegraph (UK), it was reported that the application to withdraw the vaccine was made on March 5 and came into effect Tuesday.

The vaccine may no longer be used in the European Union.

According to the report, similar applications would be made in the UK and other countries which had approved the vaccine, known as the brandname Vaxzervria or Covishield.

The company is facing a class action suit in the UK over a vaccine rare side effect that allegedly caused blood clots. – May 9, 2024.