Why AstraZeneca Withdraws COVID-19 Vaccine From The Market?

AstraZeneca, the pharmaceutical giant behind one of the first widely available COVID-19 vaccines, is withdrawing its shot from the global market. The decision comes amid a surplus of newer vaccines targeting emerging variants of the coronavirus.

A pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca is stopping its COVID-19 vaccine everywhere. They say plenty of other vaccines now work better against new versions of the virus. They decided this after stopping selling the vaccine in Europe in March. The agency that checks medicines in Europe also said it’s not allowed anymore.

“According to independent estimates, over 6.5 million lives were saved in the first year of use alone and over 3bn doses were supplied globally,” the statement said. “We will now work with regulators and our partners to align on a clear path forward to conclude this chapter and significant contribution to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

AstraZeneca says people don’t want their vaccine much anymore because there are newer ones. So, they’re not making or giving it out anymore. They said their vaccine helped save many lives in the first year it was used. But now, other vaccines work better against the changing virus.

Much Better Vaccines Are Here!

Some countries already stopped using this vaccine. In Australia, they stopped using it last year because there are better options. The vaccine used to be called “Vaxzevria.” It was for people 18 and older, and you needed two shots. It’s made from a virus that’s been changed to fight COVID-19. The vaccine itself doesn’t make you sick.

Even though the vaccine mostly works well, there’s a rare but serious problem it can cause called TTS. It happens to only a few people out of every 100,000 who get the vaccine.

An expert from Australia said this vaccine was super important at the start of the pandemic when there weren’t many vaccines. But now, better ones target the new versions of the virus. The World Health Organization says the new vaccines should target the latest version of the virus, called JN.1.

It’s important to note that AstraZeneca’s withdrawal doesn’t diminish the critical role it played in protecting millions worldwide during the peak of the pandemic. Their contribution to global vaccination efforts remains significant.