| The vaccine against covid-19 produced by AstraZeneca was one of the first authorized in Brazil (Credit: KOLA SULAIMON / AFP) |
The pharmaceutical AstraZeneca announced the end of production of the covid-19 vaccine called Vaxzevria. The statement was released this Wednesday (8/5) and alleges commercial reasons to end the manufacture of the vaccine worldwide.
“As multiple vaccines against Covid-19 variants have since been developed, there is a surplus of updated vaccines available. This has led to a drop in demand for Vaxzevria, which is no longer being produced or supplied,” the group said in a statement.
Last week, the pharmaceutical company admitted to the Court that the vaccine produced by the group could cause a “rare side effect”. According to the British newspaper The Telegraph, the company is the target of a collective action in which 51 families are asking for compensation equivalent to up to approximately R$700 million.
The effect is predicted in the vaccine leaflet itself. “Like all medicines, this vaccine can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them. Major blood clots in combination with low blood platelet levels (thrombocytopenia) have been observed very rarely (with a frequency of less than 1 in 100,000 vaccinated individuals)”, explains the document for patients.
The vaccine against covid-19 produced by AstraZeneca it was one of the first authorized in Brazil.
Anvisa clarifies that the authorization of the vaccine was based on safe scientific criteria and that the benefits of vaccination compared to the possible risks are even greater, especially in people who belong to risk groups. The agency also highlights that at the start of vaccination against Covid-19 in 2021, there were few vaccines available around the world.
According to the Ministry of Health’s vaccine monitoring panel, more than 153 million people have taken vaccines produced by AstraZeneca in the country since the vaccine began to be administered.
Correio contacted the Ministry of Health to comment on AstraZeneca’s decision, but has not yet received a response.
The information is from Correio Braziliense.
