COVID-19 vaccines saved nearly 20 million lives in a year, study says
Summary
A new study estimates that COVID-19 vaccines saved nearly 20 million lives worldwide in their first year. The research shows that even more deaths could have been prevented if global vaccination goals had been reached.Key Facts
- COVID-19 vaccines prevented an estimated 19.8 million deaths between December 2020 and December 2021.
- Over 4.3 billion people worldwide received COVID-19 vaccines during this time.
- The study used data from 185 countries but did not include China due to uncertain data.
- Countries with the highest estimated deaths prevented include India (4.2 million), the United States (1.9 million), Brazil (1 million), France (631,000), and the UK (507,000).
- If the World Health Organization's target of 40% vaccination coverage by the end of 2021 had been met, an additional 600,000 deaths could have been avoided.
- The study did not consider changes in virus mutations, lockdowns, or mask-wearing that might have happened without vaccines.
- Another group estimated that vaccines prevented 16.3 million deaths, showing some differences in modeling but agreement on the vaccines' life-saving impact.
- Funding for the study came from organizations including the WHO, UK Medical Research Council, Gavi, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
