Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca finds itself embroiled in legal battles in the United Kingdom as it faces numerous claims regarding deaths and debilitating injuries allegedly caused by its COVID-19 vaccine.
Claims Beyond Government Scheme
Approximately 80 claimants, not identified as anti-vaccination proponents, are pursuing legal action against AstraZeneca seeking compensation beyond the government’s damage payment scheme, which allocates £120,000 ($152,000) for such cases.
Rare Adverse Reactions
The legal claims are primarily linked to instances of Vaccine-induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT), a rare condition known to trigger life-threatening blood clots obstructing vital organs.
AstraZeneca’s Response
A spokesperson for AstraZeneca declined to comment on the ongoing legal proceedings but reiterated the company’s commitment to patient safety, emphasizing that regulatory agencies had approved the vaccine based on its safety and efficacy.
Impact of COVID Vaccine
AstraZeneca defended its COVID vaccine’s safety record, citing both clinical trials and real-world data, which purportedly demonstrate its “acceptable safety profile” and credited with saving “more than six million lives worldwide” in its first year of use.
Legal Actions Initiated
The first wave of lawsuits was filed in the U.K. High Court in December, followed by subsequent filings in January, with claimants arguing that AstraZeneca should be held liable for injuries and losses resulting from rare adverse reactions.
Heartbreaking Testimonies
Among the claimants are individuals who have lost loved ones or suffered debilitating consequences due to VITT.
Kam Miller’s husband Neil died on May 1, 2021 due to VITT, at the age of 50.
Although her husband “was keen to have his jab as soon as he could,” she told the BBC on Thursday that she was not against vaccinations and that she thought he would have survived if he had not received the shot.
A Radio Journalists Death
The litigation group claimed that Lisa Shaw, a radio journalist, developed blood clots in her brain following her administration of the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine in April 2021, and she passed away soon after. Zach, her eight-year-old son, and her husband Gareth “live with the loss of Lisa every single day,” according to him.
He added, “Our house is a quiet place now. Days don’t have the same glow. Grief casts a long shadow over everything.”
Life-Altering Disabilities
Jane Wrigley, another claimant, survived VITT but faces severe mobility limitations due to the condition, which necessitated emergency surgery, highlighting the enduring impact of vaccine-related complications.
Addressing Misconceptions
While concerns regarding vaccine safety persist, health agencies globally assert that adverse events associated with vaccination are significantly less common than those observed in COVID-19 patients themselves.
Rare Occurrence of VITT
VITT affects about one in 50,000 people under 50 and one in 100,000 people over 50, according to the British National Health Service.
The “risk of death and serious outcomes of COVID-19, including thrombosis, far outweigh risk of VITT possibly associated with highly efficacious vaccines,” according to the American Society of Hematology.
Public Health Perspective
Experts underscore the critical role of vaccination in mitigating the impact of the pandemic, emphasizing the overwhelming evidence supporting vaccine efficacy and the minimal incidence of severe adverse reactions.
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