A man who was left with brain damage after receiving the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is suing the pharmaceutical company, claiming it overstated the drug’s efficiency.
Jamie Scott, a father of two, developed a blood clot that forced him to stop working after being given the jab in April 2021.
His lawyers claim he suffered “personal injuries and consequential losses arising out of his sustaining vaccine-induced immune thrombosis with thrombocytopenia (VITT)“, a rare but known side effect of the vaccine, which was developed with the University of Oxford.
About two weeks before he received the shot, the Joint Committee on Immunisation and Vaccine said all adults under 30 should receive an alternative vaccine because of the risk. A month later, the advice was amended to adults under the age of 40. Mr Scott was 44 at the time of his inoculation.
In the claim, first reported by The Telegraph, his lawyers say there was no warning of the risk of VITT in the product information when he received the vaccine. They also claim the efficiency in preventing symptomatic Covid-19 was lower than the 70 per cent relative risk stated following clinical trials.
The claim states: “In fact, the absolute risk reduction concerning Covid-19 prevention was only 1.2 per cent.”
In the summer of 2022, the World Health Organisation said the vaccine was “safe and effective for all individuals aged 18 and above”. A study from the same year found that the vaccine saved six million lives.
But figures show the vast majority, more than 144 out of the 148 £120,000 payouts made under the vaccine damage payment scheme, were received by those who were given the AstraZeneca jab.
Mr Scott's wife, Kate, said: “We have been lobbying the government for 18 months for fair compensation for the injury caused by the vaccine.” She added in an open letter: “Our legal case will seek to hold AstraZeneca to account but we need to build a significant fighting fund to get justice.”
AstraZeneca told The Times: “Patient safety is our highest priority and regulatory authorities have clear and stringent standards to ensure the safe use of all medicines, including vaccines.
“From the body of evidence in clinical trials and real-world data, the vaccine has continuously been shown to have an acceptable safety profile and regulators around the world consistently state that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of extremely rare potential side effects.”
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
Nick's journey in numbers
Countries so far: 85
Flights: 149
Steps: 3.78 million
Calories: 220,000
Floors climbed: 2,000
Donations: GPB37,300
Prostate checks: 5
Blisters: 15
Bumps on the head: 2
Dog bites: 1
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Primera Liga fixtures (all times UAE: 4 GMT)
Friday
Real Sociedad v Villarreal (10.15pm)
Real Betis v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Barcelona (8.15pm)
Levante v Deportivo La Coruna (10.15pm)
Girona v Malaga (10.15pm)
Las Palmas v Atletico Madrid (12.15am)
Sunday
Espanyol v Leganes (8.15pm)
Eibar v Athletic Bilbao (8.15pm)
Getafe v Sevilla (10.15pm)
Real Madrid v Valencia (10.15pm)
ENGLAND TEAM
England (15-1)
George Furbank; Jonny May, Manu Tuilagi, Owen Farrell (capt), Elliot Daly; George Ford, Ben Youngs; Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, Courtney Lawes; Charlie Ewels, Maro Itoje; Kyle Sinckler, Jamie George, Joe Marler
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, George Kruis, Lewis Ludlam, Willi Heinz, Ollie Devoto, Jonathan Joseph
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Dunki
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rajkumar%20Hirani%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shah%20Rukh%20Khan%2C%20Taapsee%20Pannu%2C%20Vikram%20Kochhar%20and%20Anil%20Grover%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
