Covid-19 vaccines averted millions of deaths, with older adults benefiting the most, study shows

BY MARY WANGARI
Scientists have found that the global Covid-19 jab campaign carried out in the peak of coronavirus between 2020-2024 averted at least 2.53 million deaths. By summing up the life expectancy of individuals globally, the study shows that the vaccines helped save 14.8 million years.

A team of researchers based at Stanford University set out to investigate the impact of Covid-19 vaccinations on deaths globally during the period 2020-2024 in an analysis published last month in the JAMA Health Forum journal.

The four-year survey enrolled 8 billion participants who were classified by age into seven age segments (0-19), (20-29), (30-39), (40-49), (50-59), (60-69) and 70-79 years.

Using the available public data, the researchers further categorised the subjects by age, long-term care settings, vaccination before and after infection, and before and during the Omicron strain period.

“The analysis “Global Estimates of Lives and Life-Years Saved by Covid-19 Vaccination During 2020-2024” compares the outcomes of global COVID-19 vaccination strategies with a scenario of no vaccination using best estimates on infection fatality rate (IFR), vaccination effectiveness (VE) for mortality, and proportion of population likely to have been infected before and after vaccination,” the study read.

While children and adolescents reported a negligible number of lives saved at only 0.01 per cent, Individuals aged 60 years and above registered the highest number at 89.6 per cent.

“An estimated 14.8 million life-years were saved (1 life-year saved per 900 vaccine doses administered),” researchers explained.
The sensitivity range was 7.4 to 23.6 million life-years. Most life-years saved (76 per cent) were among people 60 years or older.”

During the Omicron strain period, vaccinated persons accounted for 57 per cent of the prevented deaths and 82 per cent before any infection. 

“Sensitivity analyses suggested 1.4 to 4.0 million lives were saved,” stated the report.

“Some sensitivity analyses showed a preponderance of the benefit during the pre-Omicron period.”

The researchers focused on the first year of COVID-19 vaccination to highlight the benefits of coronavirus jabs during the period.

Overall, older persons who comprise the minority population worldwide benefited the most from lives and life years saved.
According to scientists, it is important to estimate the lives and life years saved to determine the benefits of coronavirus vaccines.

Further, experts hold that estimating human fatalities averted by the coronavirus jabs is a critical point for informing future planning for public health and sensitisation.

The Covid-19 vaccination campaign was rolled out amidst widespread scepticism, controversy, disinformation and misinformation as the novel virus spread and ravaged at least seven million people globally.