New Delhi: A new global study has estimated that COVID-19 vaccinations prevented over 25 lakh (2.5 million) deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2024. According to findings published in the JAMA Health Forum, one life was saved for every 5,400 vaccine doses administered, with the majority of lives saved among older adults aged 60 and above.
Study Shows Significant Impact of Vaccination
The research, conducted by scientists from Catholic University of Milan, Italy, and Stanford University, USA, analyzed publicly available global population and COVID-19 data to compare real-world deaths with modelled estimates in the absence of vaccines.
Lead researcher Angelo Maria Pezzullo explained that the team used comparative modelling to assess how many deaths and years of life were saved by vaccines. Their estimate: 14.8 million years of life preserved globally, equating to one year of life saved for every 900 vaccine doses administered.
Older Adults Benefited the Most
The study found:
- 90% of lives saved involved people aged 60 years or older
- 82% of those saved were vaccinated before getting infected
- 57% of deaths averted occurred during the Omicron wave
These numbers reinforce the critical role vaccines played in protecting vulnerable populations, especially the elderly, during the height of the pandemic.
Most Comprehensive Vaccine Impact Study Yet
Co-author Prof. Stefania Boccia noted that this is the most comprehensive global analysis to date, covering multiple pandemic phases, including the Omicron period, and offering insight into life years gained rather than just death tolls avoided.
“Previous studies covered select regions or short timeframes. This one uses global data, fewer assumptions, and adds valuable metrics like years of life saved,” she added.
Expert Commentary Supports Findings
In an accompanying editorial, Monica Gandhi from the University of California, San Francisco, wrote:
“Vaccines save lives and the only way to get through this pandemic was always immunity. It is much safer to provide immunity to an older person through a vaccine than through natural infection.”
Gandhi also emphasized the importance of such models in preparing for future pandemics, stating that targeted vaccination strategies could minimize reliance on broad restrictive measures while still protecting the most vulnerable.
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