Last year, Jamie Scott, a father of two, took legal action against AstraZeneca, asserting that he incurred a permanent brain injury as a result of developing Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) following his receipt of the AstraZeneca vaccine in April 2021. In response to media coverage, multiple families have lodged complaints in court contending that the AstraZeneca vaccine has led to grievous outcomes. A class-action lawsuit has been instigated against AstraZeneca, headquartered in Cambridge, claiming culpability for causing serious harm and deaths through its vaccine, which was produced in collaboration with the University of Oxford and manufactured in India by the Serum Institute of India (SII).
The lawsuit has spotlighted the contentious issue of the AstraZeneca vaccine's alleged association with TTS, as 1,749,417,978 doses of the Covishield vaccine, a version equivalent to AstraZeneca, have been dispensed in India since January 2021. Despite acknowledging the rare occurrence of TTS as a potential side effect of the AZ vaccine, the pharmaceutical company articulated in a statement the necessity of expert testimonies to ascertain causation in individual cases. Kate, Scott's wife, has demanded redress, including an apology and fair compensation, not only for their family but also for others affected by the vaccine-related TTS, which triggers blood clotting and diminished platelet counts. This legal dispute has gained momentum with several countries, such as Denmark, Ireland, and Australia, prohibiting the AstraZeneca vaccine due to similar concerns over TTS.