Sri Lanka, May 8 -- AstraZeneca is removing its Covid vaccine worldwide, months after the pharmaceutical giant admitted that it can cause a rare and dangerous side effect.

The jab, developed by Oxford University, can no longer be used in the European Union after the company voluntarily withdrew its 'marketing authorisation', coming into effect today.

Similar applications to withdraw the vaccine will be made in other countries that had previously approved it, including the UK.

Australia's Therapeutic Goods Authority discontinued use of the vaccine in April 2023.

The vaccine, once heralded as a 'triumph for British science', has come under intense scrutiny in recent months for a very rare side effect causing blood clots and low blood pl...