A new study by WHO/Europe, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, highlights the significant impact of COVID-19 vaccines in saving lives across the WHO European Region. From December 2020 to March 2023, vaccines were responsible for reducing pandemic-related deaths by at least 59%, saving more than 1.6 million lives. The study’s findings underscore the crucial role that vaccines played, particularly among those aged 60 and older, the group most vulnerable to severe illness and death from SARS-CoV-2.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Margaux Meslé, emphasized, “The results are clear: COVID-19 vaccination saves lives. Without the enormous vaccination effort, we would have seen many more livelihoods disrupted and families losing their most vulnerable members.”
According to the study, the most lives were saved during the period when the Omicron variant was dominant, from December 2021 to March 2023. Countries that launched early and widespread vaccination campaigns—such as Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, Malta, and the United Kingdom—reaped the greatest benefits in terms of lives saved.
Despite WHO‘s declaration in May 2023 that COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency of international concern, recent reports indicate a resurgence in cases across several countries in the Region, marking a “summer wave” of COVID-19. This uptick is a reminder that, while the virus may be fading from public memory, it remains a persistent threat.
In fact, the percentage of patients with respiratory illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 has increased fivefold over the past eight weeks, with a corresponding rise in hospitalizations. Although the number of cases is lower than during the winter peak in December 2023, the summer surge is still contributing to hospitalizations and deaths.
The resurgence may be attributed to factors such as increased travel, mass gatherings at events like sporting tournaments and music festivals, and a decline in competition from other respiratory illnesses like influenza.
Surveillance remains key to understanding disease patterns and monitoring for new variants. The most prevalent variants in the Region, JN.1 and its descendants (including KP.2, KP.3, and KP.3.1.1), are more transmissible but not necessarily more severe. However, gaps in data reporting from some countries may obscure the true extent of variant spread.
Current vaccines continue to offer protection against severe outcomes from these new variants, and ongoing studies are examining the longevity of immunity provided by booster doses.
Dr. Meslé concluded, “Although we are now out of the pandemic phase, SARS-CoV-2 continues to infect people and lead to hospitalizations and deaths in our Region; therefore, COVID-19 vaccination continues to be important for those at high risk.”
As the virus continues to evolve, public health authorities urge vigilance, especially among high-risk individuals, and emphasize the importance of following national COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.
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