The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on Tuesday that COVID-19 vaccinations have prevented at least 1.4 million deaths in Europe.
Dr. Hans Kluge, Regional Director of the WHO European Region, emphasized in his first speech of the year that the death toll on the continent could have been as high as four million if not higher had vaccines not been available.
Kluge said, “More than 2.5 million COVID-19 deaths, and 277 million confirmed cases, were reported in the vast WHO European Region, which comprised 53 countries stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Analysis of 34 countries showed that most people whose lives were saved by vaccines, 90 per cent, were over 60.”
According to Kluge, between December 2020 and March 2023, the vaccinations’ implementation cut fatalities by 57%; the initial booster doses alone are thought to have saved an estimated 700,000 lives.
“Today, there are 1.4 million people in our region – most of them elderly – who are around to enjoy life with their loved ones because they took the vital decision to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This is the power of vaccines. The evidence is irrefutable,” Kluge said, speaking from Copenhagen.
He added that COVID-19 rates in Europe remained elevated but were decreasing.
“WHO recommends that people at highest risk of the disease should continue to be re-vaccinated six to 12 months after their most recent dose. This category includes older persons, frontline health workers, pregnant women, and people who are immunocompromised or have significant chronic medical conditions,” he said.
