AstraZeneca to Withdraw Covid Vaccine Globally Due to Decline in Demand

AstraZeneca has announced the global withdrawal of its Covid-19 vaccine, citing a "surplus of available updated vaccines" as the reason. The European Commission had previously withdrawn marketing authorisation for Vaxzevria in March, and the withdrawal became effective on Tuesday. The company had also admitted that the vaccine causes side effects, which may have contributed to a decline in demand. Notably, the vaccine has not been available in Australia since March 2023.