A new study published on Thursday estimates that at least 470,000 lives have been saved between the ages of 60 and older in the WHO European Region since the launch of COVID-19 vaccination in 33 countries.
The joint study WHO Regional Office for Europe and European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), published in Eurosurveillance, a peer-reviewed European scientific journal on the epidemiology, surveillance and prevention and control of communicable diseases.
Dr Hans-Henri Kluge commented: “COVID-19 has taken a big toll in our region, but now we can say with confidence that without Covid-19 vaccines as a means of curbing the epidemic, many people would have died,” said the WHO Regional Director. Dr Hans-Henri Kluge commented on Global Europe (25 November).
“Covid-19 vaccines are a marvel of modern science, and this study shows that they do what they promise, which is to save lives and provide a very high level of protection against serious illness and death. In some countries, the death toll could be twice as high as it is now without vaccines.
33 countries were analyzed: Iceland, Israel, Norway, Malta, Spain, Finland, Ireland, England, Cyprus, Portugal, Greece, France, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Sweden, Hungary, Lithuania, Switzerland, Estonia, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro , Slovenia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia, Moldova, Ukraine and Scotland.
mortality rate comparison
The authors of the WHO / Europe and ECDC estimated the number of deaths among adults aged 60 and over in 33 countries in the European region. without Any vaccinations using the actual number of weekly deaths.
They then calculated the number of lives saved from the Covid-19 vaccine as the difference between these estimates and the number of deaths reported between December 2020 and November 2021 in people over 60 years of age.
They estimated that the Covid-19 vaccine saved 469,000 lives in this age group in 33 countries during the study, reducing the number of deaths by almost half. In the 30 countries where data are also available for younger age groups, the highest number of lives saved was in people aged 80 and over (261,000 lives).
Lives saved by vaccinating people under the age of 60 or lives saved by a reduction in the indirect effects of vaccination are not included in the calculations.
Country differences
Although the average life-saving rate was 51%, this figure varied greatly from country to country, even among those with high vaccination rates. At the top were Iceland (93% saved lives), the United Kingdom (86%) and Israel (80%). For Belgium, the figure was exactly 50%, followed by Sweden (42%), Italy (37%) and Hungary (33%).
Of the EU Member States, Romania (20%), Poland (19%), Croatia (16%) and Slovakia (14%) are at the bottom of the list.
High vaccination rates alone are not enough. The study shows that the highest number of lives saved was in countries where the release of Covid-19 was early and admission was high.
Other countries have experienced limited immunization effects because their vaccine delivery has been slower or has not been co-administered with continuous non-pharmaceutical interventions to reduce transmission.
“The consequences of lower vaccination rates in some countries are currently overburdened healthcare systems and high mortality rates,” said Dr Andrea Amon, director of the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “We encourage Member States to continue to focus on addressing immunization deficiencies, especially among the most vulnerable at risk of critical illness.”
lessons learned
According to WHO / European and ECDC data, vaccination is required in combination with other preventive measures. It is part of an important package of measures needed to contain the epidemic, but it alone will not end the health crisis.
“It simply came to our notice then. Immunization saves lives in all age groups, ”says Dr. Kluge. “We know that the virus is spreading indoors, in crowded and confined spaces, so we must also take certain measures to reduce transmission. especially now that the cold weather is urging us to gather inside. ”
“Wear a mask in crowded, enclosed and confined spaces, cover coughs and sneezes, keep away from others and wash your hands regularly. Ventilation is also important, so if it is safe to do so, open a window or door to let in fresh air. inside.”
It is important that the authorities take these measures and that we take all these measures to protect ourselves and others, even if we are fully vaccinated, because, on the basis of the available evidence, vaccination significantly reduces but cannot completely stop the transmission of the virus.
By making these activities a part of our daily lives, we can all help stop the spread of infections and viruses. As we usually wear while driving, we should consider washing our hands, wearing a mask or staying away from other people to protect us from infection.
Until the end of the pandemic, countries must also maintain strict public health measures, such as free testing, contact tracing to break down transmission chains, and urgent access for all individuals in priority vaccination groups who have not yet been vaccinated. complete series.
Brussels Times
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