The lives of over 800 Maltese people were saved thanks to COVID-19 vaccination, according to a study authored by the World Health Organisation and the European Centre for Disease Control.
The study, which looked at people over 60 years old in 33 countries across the WHO European regions, estimated that the roll-out of vaccinations averted the deaths of 470,000 people.
Researchers looked at the estimated number of deaths among adults aged 60 years and older and compared them to the actual number of reported COVID-19 deaths within that age group between December 2020 and November 2021.
According to the data, the number of expected deaths were slashed by almost half, and in 30 countries the largest number of lives saved was in the age group of people 80 years and over, with an estimated 261,421 deaths averted.
The largest number of lives saved was in countries where COVID-19 vaccination rollout was early and uptake in the target group was also high.
The data from Malta showed that during the period under review the country had a 100 per cent uptake of full vaccinations, with a total of 860 deaths averted in total.
Looking at Malta’s mortality rate per 100,000 people, Malta was expecting a mortality rate of 937.3 but only recorded a rate of 245.4 deaths per 100,000 people, with 74 per cent of expected deaths averted by vaccinations.
“COVID-19 has exacted a devastating death toll in our region, but we can now categorically say that without COVID-19 vaccines as a tool to contain this pandemic, many more people would have died,” WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Henri P. Kluge said.
“The COVID-19 vaccines are a marvel of modern science and what this research shows is that they’re doing what they promised, that is saving lives, offering very high protection against severe illness and death. In some countries, the death toll would have been double what it is now without the vaccines.
“It is therefore critically important that all Member States in the European Region achieve high coverage for people in the at-risk groups as soon as possible. Countries with lower vaccination uptake rates must continue to prioritize those who are at highest risk and protect the vulnerable groups as rapidly as possible.”