Lawsuit Looms Over AstraZeneca and Serum Institute Following Covishield’s Rare Blood Clot Revelation

In the wake of AstraZeneca’s acknowledgment of its COVID-19 vaccine’s potential rare blood clot side effects, the parents of a young woman allegedly deceased after receiving Covishield are gearing up to file a lawsuit against the British pharmaceutical giant and the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer.

This revelation unfolded after AstraZeneca conceded in a UK court that their vaccine could trigger rare side effects leading to blood clots and reduced platelet counts. Notably, while AstraZeneca developed the vaccine, it was produced in India by the Serum Institute of India (SII) under the brand name ‘Covishield’, which saw widespread distribution in the country. However, SII has not yet issued a statement regarding this matter.

In response to AstraZeneca’s admission, Venugopalan Govindan, who tragically lost his 20-year-old daughter Karunya in 2021, expressed his anguish, labeling the acknowledgment as “too late” and coming after “so many lives have been lost”. Govindan emphasized that SII should have halted vaccine distribution following the restrictions imposed by 15 European countries due to deaths linked to blood clots.

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Taking to social media platform X, Govindan expressed his frustration, stating, “The Serum Institute should have ceased vaccine supply after 15 European countries restricted its usage due to deaths from blood clots.” He highlighted the ongoing struggle of grieving parents for justice in various courts, lamenting the lack of a fair hearing.

Moreover, Govindan held multiple stakeholders accountable for the tragedy, including SII, the government for promoting the vaccine as ‘safe and effective’ without adequate data, regulatory bodies for approving it despite emerging adverse event data, and government authorities for greenlighting the vaccine rollout.

Addressing the rare side effect associated with Covishield, known as Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), AstraZeneca acknowledged that its vaccine may lead to this severe immunological reaction in very rare cases. TTS manifests as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), where blood clots form in the brain’s venous sinuses, impeding blood flow and reducing platelet counts, thereby heightening the risk of bleeding or blood clots in various body regions.

This rare disease, observed primarily in individuals vaccinated with COVID-19 adenovirus vector-based vaccines, has raised concerns globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a limited number of Covishield recipients experiencing TTS syndrome, highlighting it as a significant yet uncommon side effect.

Also read: Ashok Gehlot Calls for Research into Covishield Side Effects by Government