The SARS-CoV-2 vaccines worked even better than previously assumed. In 34 of 55 European countries and regions, they reduced mortality from Covid-19 by 59 percent. This is the result of the first retrospective study with real data, which has now been published in the medical journal ‘Lancet Respiratory Medicine’.
Bernhard Benka from the Agency for Health and Food Security (AGES) and Viennese virologist Monika Redlberger-Fritz (MedUni Vienna) also worked as co-authors on the international study. “To our knowledge, this is the first retrospective observational study that analyzed the effect of Covid-19 vaccination in adults by age and virus variant over the entire pandemic period in many countries,” the scientists wrote in the publication.
34 out of 54 European countries provided valid data
As of March 2023, the 54 countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region had reported a total of approximately 2.2 million deaths related to Covid-19. The current study was based on data between December 2020, when the vaccines were first available, and March 2023. They were assessed for the age groups 25 to 49 years, 50 to 59 years, over 60, 60 to 69 years, 70 to 79, and over 80 years. Because complete data were not available from all countries and regions, the analysis covers 34 of the 54 countries and regions.
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Researchers: 1.6 million lives saved in 25 years
The results speak clearly in favor of regular Covid-19 vaccination. The scientists: “Between December 2020 and March 2023, Covid-19 vaccines reduced the number of deaths in the 34 of the 54 countries and regions included in the analysis by a total of 59 percent (range: minus 17 to minus 82 percent). This meant saving around 1.6 million lives (range: 1.5 to 1.7 million) in the group of people over 25 years of age.”
96 percent of those saved from death by Covid-19 by vaccination were over 60 years of age, 52 percent were over 80 years of age. “The first booster vaccinations saved 51 percent of lives. “The omicron period accounted for 60 percent,” the experts continued. This only further underscores the importance of up-to-date vaccination protection for those most at risk.
The study was funded by the US federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In mid-January of this year, the WHO estimated that vaccination would have saved around 1.4 million lives across the organisation’s European Region. This reduced Covid-19 mortality by 57 per cent. In contrast, the new study data suggests that vaccination saved 1.6 million lives and had an average mortality effect of 59 per cent for some of the WHO European Region alone.
Source: Krone
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