Index – Abroad – The manufacturer admitted: one of the coronavirus vaccines causes a rare side effect

AstraZeneca admitted in court for the first time that the Covid vaccine could cause a fatal blood clotting side effect. This extremely rare reaction is at the center of a multi-million pound class action brought by dozens of families who claim

Lawyers representing the claimants believe their clients could be entitled to up to £20 million in damages in some cases. Cambridge-based AstraZeneca, which disputes most of the claims, admitted in a legal document filed with Britain’s High Court in February that its vaccine “may cause TTS in very rare cases”.

TTS stands for thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, a disease in which blood clots form in people with low platelet counts. Platelets normally help blood clot. The complication – listed as a possible side effect of the vaccine – was previously called vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT).

Although it has been accepted as a possible side effect for two years, this is the first time the company has admitted in court that the vaccine can cause the condition, reports The Telegraph, seen by the Daily Mail.

Taxpayers will foot the bill for any compensation, as AstraZeneca struck a compensation deal with the government in the darkest days of Covid to get vaccines produced as quickly as possible while the country was paralyzed by lockdowns. This all happened just days after the company reported that its revenue in the first quarter of 2024 exceeded £10 billion, representing an increase of 19 percent. Company officials said it had a “very strong start to the year.”

Due to the negative health consequences associated with AstraZeneca’s vaccine, Jamie Scott, a father of two and computer scientist, who took the vaccine in 2021, is also demanding compensation. After receiving the vaccine, he suffered permanent brain damage due to a blood clot and a stroke. He has not been able to work since then. His is one of 51 cases currently in the High Court seeking damages estimated at around £100m in total.

Sarah Moore, a partner at the law firm Leigh Day, who represents the plaintiffs against AstraZeneca, accused the company of using delaying tactics against victims.

In a statement, AstraZeneca wrote:

Others file lawsuits, at least in part, to seek justice for those they’ve lost, or for their lives completely turned upside down by the consequences of side effects. Some are suing in part because critics say the government’s vaccine damage payment system is inadequate or arbitrary.

The policy, which has been around since the 70s, provides £120,000 tax-free to those affected or their family members, albeit with restrictions. It is only available to those whose family members have died or who have become “severely disabled” due to a vaccine, i.e. their condition is classified as at least 60 percent disabled based on a medical certificate.

The scheme, set up in 1979, aims to reassure people that in the unlikely event that something goes wrong, the state will provide support. In theory, it is meant to combat vaccine hesitancy and encourage the public to get vaccinated against various pathogens, thereby helping the nation protect against disease.

However, critics say the system is cumbersome, tight-lipped in terms of the total amount paid, and the 60 percent disability threshold is cruel, leaving the less seriously injured behind.

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