COVID-19 VACCINES REMAIN KEY TO PREVENTING SEVERE ILLNESS — WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reaffirmed that staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccination remains the most effective protection against severe illness, hospitalisation and death.

The global health body said recent studies show that although the COVID-19 pandemic has officially ended, the virus continues to pose serious health risks, particularly to unvaccinated and under-vaccinated individuals.

According to findings from studies coordinated by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, people who received timely booster doses were significantly less likely to develop severe symptoms, require intensive care, or die from the disease.

The research, conducted through the European Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Vaccine Effectiveness (EuroSAVE) network, analysed hospital data across parts of Europe, the Balkans, the South Caucasus and Central Asia.

A medical epidemiologist at the WHO regional office, Mark Katz, noted that COVID-19 is still responsible for a considerable number of hospital admissions and deaths, despite no longer causing the widespread disruption seen during the peak of the pandemic.

Data from the network showed that between May 2023 and April 2024, nearly 4,000 patients were hospitalised with acute respiratory infections, with COVID-19 accounting for almost 10 per cent of the cases.

Among those hospitalised with COVID-19, only three per cent had received a vaccine dose within the previous year. The outcomes were severe, as 13 per cent required intensive care while 11 per cent died.

Comparative analysis also revealed that COVID-19 patients were more likely than influenza patients to need oxygen support, intensive care, or succumb to the illness.

However, the studies showed that vaccination provided strong protection. An updated COVID-19 vaccine taken within the last six months was found to be 72 per cent effective in preventing hospitalisation and 67 per cent effective in preventing critical outcomes, including ICU admission and death.

WHO also cited a separate multi-country analysis which indicated that COVID-19 vaccines reduced related hospitalisations by about 60 per cent.

The organisation urged countries and individuals to sustain vaccination efforts, particularly for high-risk populations, to minimise the ongoing health impact of the virus.