A new study conducted by the World Health Organization - Europe (WHO-Europe) has revealed that at least 1.4 million lives have been saved in Europe thanks to safe and effective vaccines against Covid-19, wrote WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, in a statement on Tuesday 16 January.
“Without [these vaccines], the European Region’s cumulative known death toll could have been around 4 million, possibly even higher”, he added. The analysis of 34 countries also revealed that over 90% of the lives saved involved people aged over 60.
Overall, the vaccines have helped to reduce the number of deaths by 57% in the WHO European Region between December 2020, when distribution of the vaccines began, and March 2023. The first booster doses alone saved 700,000 lives, according to the study.
“This is the power of vaccines. The evidence is irrefutable”, insisted Dr Kluge.
The WHO recommends that people most exposed to Covid-19 should continue to be revaccinated six to twelve months after the last dose. These include the elderly, pregnant women, people who are immunocompromised or suffering from major chronic illnesses, and frontline healthcare workers.
Link to the report: https://aeur.eu/f/aec (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)