For the first time, pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca (AZ) has acknowledged in court documents that their Covid-19 vaccine can cause rare side effects. The pharmaceutical giant faces lawsuits over allegations that their vaccine, developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford, can cause death and serious injury in dozens of cases. 

Several lawyers argue that the vaccine produces side effects that adversely affect a small number of individuals. The first case last year was filed by Jamie Scott, a father of two children who suffered permanent brain damage after experiencing blood clots and bleeding in the brain that prevented him from working, following his vaccination in April 2021. The hospital contacted his wife three times separately to inform her that her husband would not survive.

AZ denied the claim, but in legal documents submitted to the High Court in February, they acknowledged that their vaccine 'can, in very rare cases, cause TTS' or 'Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome,' where blood clotting and blood platelet counts become low.

A total of 51 cases have been filed in the High Court so far, with victims seeking compensation estimated to be worth up to £100 million (RM512 million). AZ's acknowledgement was made in a legal defence against Scott's High Court claim after a fierce legal battle. It could lead to compensation if the involved firm admits that the vaccine causes serious illness and death in certain cases, and the government has also promised to fund legal action costs against AZ.

In a response letter sent in May 2023, AZ informed Scott's lawyers: "We do not accept that TTS is caused by the vaccine at a generic level." 

However, in legal documents submitted to the High Court in February, AZ stated: "It is indeed acknowledged that the AZ vaccine can, in very rare cases, cause TTS. The causative mechanism is unknown. TTS can also occur if there is no AZ vaccine (or any vaccine). The cause in any individual case can only be determined through expert evidence," they said.

Scientists began linking the vaccine to a newly recognized disease known as 'immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT)' following vaccine uptake as early as March 2021, shortly after the Covid-19 vaccine began distribution. Scott's wife, Kate, also stated that the medical world has long acknowledged that vaccines cause VITT. 

"Only AZ questions whether the injection caused Jamie's condition. It took three years for this result (court claim). It's progress, but we want to see more from them and the government. It's time for this matter to move faster. We need an apology and fair compensation for our family and other affected families. We have the truth on our side, and we will not give up," she said. 

Source: Sinar Harian