By Montserrat Arqué
May 8, 2024, 12:46 PM EDT
This Wednesday, the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca announced its decision to withdraw its Covid vaccine, known as Vaxzevria, from the market. This measure is due to the “lack of demand” that the drug has experienced, despite having sold more than 3 billion doses worldwide since the start of the pandemic.
In an official statement, AstraZeneca expressed its pride in having been a pioneer in the fight against Covid with this vaccine, developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford. However, he noted that the change in demand is due to the emergence of new variants of the virus, which has led to a preference for “updated” vaccines.
According to data from AstraZeneca, its vaccine has been essential in protecting and saving lives during the health crisis, being responsible for saving more than 6.5 million people in its first year of use. However, its reputation has been hit by reports of rare and, in some cases, deadly side effects, such as blood clots.
Despite these challenges, AstraZeneca assures that its efforts have been recognized by governments around the world and are considered critical components in the fight against the global pandemic.
The statement also reveals that the development of new vaccines more adapted to virus variants has generated a surplus of updated vaccines on the market, which has contributed to the decline in demand for the AstraZeneca vaccine. As a result, the company has confirmed that the vaccine will no longer be manufactured or supplied worldwide.
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