New Study Shows Anti-Covid Vaccines Have Saved Over 1.4 Million Lives in Europe
A recent study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that anti-Covid vaccines have played a crucial role in saving lives in Europe. According to the study, if it were not for the vaccines, the cumulative death toll in the European Region would have been around four million, if not higher. The evidence presented in the study suggests that vaccines have reduced deaths by 57% in the European Region between December 2020 and March 2023. This translates to almost one and a half million lives saved, with over 90% of lives saved pertaining to people over the age of 60.
Hans Henri Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, emphasized the importance of continuing to vaccinate high-risk groups such as older people, pregnant women, and front-line health workers. He also highlighted the importance of ongoing surveillance for new variants, citing the rapid spread of the JN.1 variant, which now represents 79% of sequences in the European Region.
Kluge also stressed the importance of protective measures such as hand and cough hygiene, ventilation, and mask use in certain environments. He mentioned the need for continued surveillance of the virus and other respiratory pathogens as the pandemic continues to evolve.
In a separate study published in The Lancet, researchers analyzed public health data on the entire population of the United Kingdom and found that a significant number of hospitalizations and deaths could have been avoided with greater vaccination coverage. They found that “undervaccinated” individuals were correlated with a significantly greater number of hospitalizations and deaths, particularly in young people, males, and those living in poor areas.
Commenting on the study, Aziz Sheikh, director of the Usher Institute at the University of Edinburgh, and Alan Keys, collaborator of the British Heart Foundation Data Science Center, emphasized the benefits of vaccination and the importance of identifying groups and areas where public health campaigns should be concentrated.
The findings of these studies underscore the significant impact of anti-Covid vaccines in saving lives and preventing severe outcomes from the virus. As the pandemic continues to evolve, the need for ongoing vaccination and surveillance remains crucial in the fight against Covid-19.