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Marrakech – The Administrative Court of Appeal in Rabat has overturned a previous court ruling that ordered the Moroccan government to pay compensation to a woman who suffered health complications after receiving the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
The initial judgment, issued by the Administrative Court of Rabat, had awarded the plaintiff, a university professor at Ibn Tofail University, MAD 250,000 ($25,000) in damages.
The plaintiff, Najat Taouti, had claimed that she experienced paralysis in her lower limbs and face after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine at the university’s vaccination center.
According to Taouti, the vaccine caused inflammation of her nervous system, affecting the mobility of her face and lower body.
She stated that despite doctors contacting officials at the Ministry of Health about her condition, there was no response from the ministry.
The Administrative Court of Rabat had based its initial ruling on the causality between the vaccination and the harm suffered by the plaintiff, as described in the expert report.
The court also relied on the principle that the state is responsible for protecting citizens from risks associated with COVID-19 vaccines, as it grants authorizations and approvals for these vaccines and urges citizens to receive them.
However, on July 24, the Administrative Court of Appeal overturned the lower court’s decision, rejecting the plaintiff’s claim and ordering her to bear the legal costs. The court’s reasoning for the reversal has not been disclosed.
This case comes amidst reports that AstraZeneca has begun withdrawing its COVID-19 vaccine worldwide, months after the pharmaceutical company acknowledged in court documents that its vaccine can cause rare and serious side effects.
The British newspaper The Telegraph reported that AstraZeneca admitted its vaccine could cause side effects after months of recognizing this possibility for the first time.
According to Morocco’s Minister of Health and Social Protection, Khalid Ait Taleb, a total of 54,423 Moroccans have experienced side effects related to the AstraZeneca vaccine, with 211 cases classified as serious by the World Health Organization.
However, no fatalities linked to vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia syndrome have been recorded worldwide.
The Ministry of Health has implemented a patient monitoring system and provides free healthcare to those experiencing severe side effects that require extensive examinations and treatment.
The National Anti-Poison and Pharmacovigilance Center has been collecting data on post-vaccination side effects since the national vaccination campaign launched in January 2021.
