AstraZeneca makes ‘business decision’ to pull COVID-19 vaccine from Australia and EU

Vaxzevria had already been withdrawn from Australia's COVID-19 vaccine program.
Former Minister for Health Greg Hunt was among the first Australians to be administered Vaxzevria. Picture: Twitter.

The TGA has withdrawn approval for COVID-19 vaccine Vaxzevria on the request of its sponsor, AstraZeneca.

It finally closes a complex and controversial chapter in Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, which was initially structured around Vaxzevria: a viral vector vaccine and the only COVID-19 vaccine that Australia could manufacture onshore.

The TGA cancellation last month “was a business decision of the company due to no current or anticipated future demand of the vaccine and follows similar business decisions made overseas”.

The European Commission also reported the vaccine’s cancellation in the EU on Tuesday at the request of the manufacturer for commercial reasons.