AstraZeneca has announced the global withdrawal of Vaxzevria, its COVID-19 vaccine, citing reduced demand and the availability of more effective vaccines against newer virus variants. The announcement was made following an update on the European Medicines Agency’s website, where the regulator noted the withdrawal approval was requested by AstraZeneca, the marketing authorization holder.
Since its initial rollout in the United Kingdom in January 2021, over three billion doses of Vaxzevria have been distributed worldwide, playing a critical role in the early pandemic response. However, with the development of vaccines that target newer variants, the demand for Vaxzevria has significantly declined, leading to its discontinuation.
Dr. Samir Gupta, a respirologist at St Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, emphasized that the vaccine’s lifecycle—from creation and deployment to the identification of rare side effects like blood clots and the eventual cessation of its use—demonstrates a typical response to a novel pandemic virus. “The virus is worse than the vaccine, even with this complication,” Dr. Gupta remarked .
In related reports, the Serum Institute of India, which produced the vaccine under the name Covishield, ceased its manufacture and distribution as of December 2021, according to a spokesperson from the institute.
The decision to stop the vaccine’s production reflects a shift towards adapting to the evolving challenges of the pandemic, ensuring that vaccination strategies remain effective against current and future threats.