A recent study, in which the National Centre for Epidemiology and the Ministry of Health participated, reveals that COVID-19 vaccines prevented more than 1.6 million deaths in Europe from December 2020 to March 2023. The results underline the efficacy of the vaccines, especially in high-risk individuals.
A study published by the World Health Organization (WHO) Respiratory Surveillance Network for Europe, in collaboration with the National Epidemiology Centre (CNE) of the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) and the Ministry of Health, estimates that COVID-19 vaccines saved more than 1.6 million lives in the WHO European Region between December 2020 and March 2023. According to the study, without the implementation of the vaccines, the number of COVID-19 deaths in Europe could have reached 4 million, instead of the 2.2 million recorded to date.
The research, published in the journal The Lancet Respiratory Medicinehighlights that the greatest impact of vaccines was seen in people over 60 years of age, the group most vulnerable to severe illness and death from SARS-CoV-2. Margaux Meslé, lead author of the study and member of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, emphasized the importance of vaccination to protect lives and allow a return to a more normal life throughout the region. “Without the huge vaccination effort, we would have seen many more livelihoods affected and families losing their most vulnerable,” said Meslé.
The study also notes that countries that implemented early vaccination programmes, covering large sections of the population, benefited the most in terms of lives saved. Furthermore, the results underline the need to maintain vaccination campaigns, especially targeting high-risk groups such as the elderly, immunocompromised people, pregnant women and health personnel.
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As periods of increased risk of transmission approach, researchers urge vulnerable groups to stay up to date with their vaccinations, as receiving an up-to-date COVID-19 vaccine remains an extremely effective tool for reducing hospitalizations and deaths.
This study reinforces the continued importance of vaccines in the fight against the pandemic and the crucial role they play in protecting the most vulnerable people.
