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By March 2023, coronavirus vaccinations had saved over 1.4 million lives in Europe and around 25,000 in Austria.
This resulted from a World Health Organization (WHO) Respiratory Disease Surveillance Network study. The study shows once again: “It becomes critical from the age of 60,” and vaccination is “essential” from the age of 80, wrote molecular biologist Martin Moder on Platform X on Wednesday. Most deaths were prevented after the third dose.
Research results have not yet been published in a specialist journal
The research results were published on a preprint server, meaning that they have not yet been published in a specialist journal and reviewed by other scientists. The researcher and “science buster” Moder described them on X (formerly Twitter) as a “very good, up-to-date study” on lives directly saved by the vaccination.
Indirectly avoided deaths due to reduced hospital utilization, for example, are not included. In addition, data from some large European countries, such as Poland and Turkey, is missing. “The real figures for Europe are likely to be significantly higher than these values,” emphasized Moder. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 continues to circulate even after the end of the investigation period.
The effects of the coronavirus vaccination in adults were investigated
The effects of the COVID-19 vaccination in adults were examined according to age group, vaccination dose, and period of variant circulation, the authors state. Real data reported by 34 countries and areas of the WHO European Region were used. The researchers estimated that the coronavirus vaccination programs were associated with a 57% reduction in deaths in the population aged 25 and over.
96 percent of the prevented deaths in Europe were among people aged 60 and over. At around 721,000, the third vaccination saved the most lives in Europe. Most deaths were prevented in the predominant phase of the Omicron variant (67 percent). “Our results underline the importance of upright COVID-19 vaccination protection, especially in older populations,” the researchers emphasized. Vaccination campaigns should emphasize the value of vaccination in saving lives.
22,300 reported deaths
According to the study, the 25,000 lives saved in Austria by the end of March 2023 were offset by around 22,300 reported deaths. Without protection through vaccination, there would have been more than twice as many coronavirus deaths in this country, according to the WHO calculations.
With more than 21 million COVID vaccinations administered in Austria to date, serious side effects have rarely been recorded. The Federal Office for Safety in Health Care (BASG) recorded two suspected deaths from vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia, among other things. A total of 2,251 cases relating to the COVID vaccination were claimed via the Vaccination Damage Act by the end of 2023, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday in response to an APA inquiry. In addition to thrombosis, the cases included myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), pericarditis (inflammation of the pericardium), Guillain-Barre syndrome, embolisms, and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
846 applications have been rejected so far and 340 granted, with 1,065 procedures still open at the beginning of the year, explained the office of Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens). The 340 awards resulted in 281 lump-sum payments (one-off payments) of 1,305.50 and 8,683 euros. On average, around 1,900 euros were paid out. An average of around EUR 560 was paid out in pension benefits each month (including special payments), and 26 pension benefits were awarded on a permanent basis.
- sources: APA/vienna.at/picture: pixabay.com
