Better than expected

Vaccination reduced Covid-19 mortality by 59%

(Bild: AP)

The SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations worked even better than previously assumed. In 34 out of 55 European countries and regions, they have reduced Covid-19 mortality by 59%. 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 Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) and Viennese virologist Monika Redlberger-Fritz (MedUni Vienna) also co-authored the international study. "To our knowledge, this is the first retrospective observational study to analyze 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
By March 2023, the 54 countries in the European region of the World Health Organization (WHO) had reported a total of around 2.2 million deaths related to Covid-19. The current study was based on data between December 2020, when the vaccines first became available, and March 2023. The data was analyzed for the age groups 25 to 49 years, 50 to 59 years, over 60, 60 to 69, 70 to 79 and over 80 years. As complete data was not available from all countries and regions, the analysis refers to 34 of the 54 countries and regions in total.

Contrary to the recommendations of scientists and politicians, one in four Austrians refuse the vaccination - these are the most common reasons:

Researchers: 1.6 million lives saved over 25 years
The results clearly speak in favor of regular Covid-19 vaccination. The scientists: "Between December 2020 and March 2023, the 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 over-25 age group."

96 percent of those saved from death from Covid-19 by the vaccination were over 60 years old, 52 percent were over 80 years old. "The first booster vaccinations saved 51 percent of lives. The Omikron period accounted for 60 percent," the experts continued. This only further emphasizes the importance of keeping vaccinations up to date for those at greatest risk.

The study was funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In mid-January of this year, the WHO estimated that around 1.4 million lives had been saved by the vaccination for the organization's entire European region. Covid-19 mortality had been reduced by 57 percent as a result. The new study data, on the other hand, speaks of 1.6 million lives saved and an average 59% impact of the vaccination on mortality for part of the WHO European region alone.