AstraZeneca is the "fall guy". It gives the appearance of the government (and the pharma companies) caring if the vaccine is safe and willing to do something about it, for our protection of course.

The whole reason it is in the press etc is to increase public confidence in the other "vaccines".

But the reason people are "losing their minds" about it is it is seen as unnecessary. Covid clearly isn't a danger to well over 99% of people and there are other methods of treating it which are being ignored.