A WHO/Europe reports that since their introduction in December 2020 and until March 2023, vaccines against Covid-19 have reduced deaths in the pandemic by at least 59% of cases, saving more than 1.6 million lives in the European region.
These are some of the conclusions of a new WHO/Europe study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, which adds that the current number of deaths from Covid-19 in Europe, currently 2.2 million, could have reached four million without vaccines.
Most of the saved patients were 60 years or older, the group at highest risk of severe disease and death from SARS-CoV-2.
Study author Margaux Meslé says “the results are clear and that vaccination against Covid-19 saves lives.”
“Without the massive vaccination effort, we would have seen many more livelihoods disrupted and families losing their most vulnerable relatives,” he highlights.
Countries that implemented early vaccination programmes covering large parts of the population – such as Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, Malta and the United Kingdom – saw the greatest benefits in terms of the overall number of lives saved, the organisation says.
According to the WHO, these conclusions are considered “highly relevant” today, more than a year after the WHO declared, in May 2023, that Covid-19 was no longer a public health emergency of international concern.
In recent weeks, several countries in the European region have reported an increase in the number of cases, which experts consider “a summer wave of Covid-19”, being “a timely reminder” that, although the infection is fading in the memory of millions of people, “the virus has not gone away”.
The percentage of patients with respiratory illnesses who have SARS-CoV-2 has increased fivefold in the past eight weeks and the percentage of patients hospitalized with covid-19 has also increased, the study reflects.
According to WHO/Europe, although the absolute number of cases is lower than the winter wave, Covid-19 infections in the region this summer are still causing hospitalizations and deaths.
“Getting an updated COVID-19 vaccine remains an extremely effective tool for reducing hospitalizations and deaths in high-risk individuals,” the study warns.
Additionally, taking an up-to-date COVID-19 vaccine also reduces your chances of developing long COVID.
According to experts, the increase in the number of cases reported this summer can be explained by holiday travel, large-scale events such as major sports tournaments and music festivals.
Unlike seasonal flu, Covid-19 circulates all year round, recalls WHO/Europe, noting that “until this pattern changes, the region may well experience multiple waves of infection each year, overwhelming health systems and increasing the chance of people becoming ill, especially the most vulnerable.
The WHO warns that to reduce the chances of infection, especially now that Covid-19 is circulating more, masks should be worn in crowded indoor spaces, as well as washing hands regularly.
Read Also: Covid-19. WHO warns of rise in cases and risk of more severe variant
Download our free App.
Eighth consecutive year Consumer Choice for Online Press and elected product of the year 2024.
* Study by Netsonda, Nov. and Dec. 2023 productoftheyear- pt.com
Source: https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/2612600/covid-19-oms-diz-que-vacinas-salvaram-1-6-milhoes-na-europa
