AstraZeneca PLC (LSE:AZN) has admitted in court that its Covid-19 vaccine can cause a rare side effect.
A legal document submitted to London’s High Court in February said the vaccine, developed alongside Oxford University, “can, in very rare cases, cause TTS”.
This stands for Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, a condition which causes blood clots and low blood platelet count.
AstraZeneca’s acknowledgement of the link comes as the pharmaceutical giant faces a class action lawsuit claiming its vaccine caused death and serious injuries to dozens.
Some 51 such cases have been cited in the High Court case, with The Telegraph reporting damages worth up to £100 million are being sought.
Such damages would be paid by the government if ordered by the court, following a deal made with AstraZeneca during the pandemic aimed at rapidly rolling out the vaccine.
The suit began last year with a filing by Jamie Scott, who was left with permanent brain damage following a blood clot and bleed, having received the vaccine in April 2021.
Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency highlighted a possible link between the vaccine and the condition in 2021.
AstraZeneca reported in November of that year that two billion doses had been shipped globally within 11 months.
Shares in the company climbed 1.6% to 12,174p on Monday in spite of the news, sitting close to an all-time high.