Covid-19 vaccines prevented 16,000 deaths in Ireland, study says

Ireland’s Covid-19 vaccination programme prevented 16,000 deaths and hugely reduced hospital and intensive care admissions, according to a Health Service Executive study.

The programme averted 87 per cent of the deaths that might have been expected in the absence of vaccination between December 2021 and last March, the study by the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre estimates. During this period, the Omicron variant of Covid-19 was dominant.

A total of 102,000 hospitalisations were prevented over the 15-month period, or 81 per cent of the number expected if no vaccine was available, according to the study. This includes 3,300 fewer admissions to intensive care - 89 per cent of the expected level, the study estimates.

The study adapted a formula used internationally to arrive at these estimates, based on national data on health outcomes, vaccine coverage and World Health Organisation data on vaccine effectiveness.

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The study, which has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, concluded that during the Omicron period, the vaccination programme prevented Covid-19 related illness, including ICU admissions and deaths. “Vaccination therefore protected population health and the healthcare system. The benefits of vaccination are ongoing, emphasising the importance of vaccination.”

This autumn, the HSE is recommending Covid-19 vaccine boosters for people aged 50 and over. In its latest formulation, it provides protection against the Omicron XBB.1.5 variant, which has been the most common single strain found in Ireland this year.

A newer, highly mutated BA.2.86 variant, also known as Pirola, has yet to be detected here. However, a small number of cases were identified in Northern Ireland this week.

More than 8 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered to people in Ireland, one of the highest rates in the world.