Study: Coronavirus vaccines prevented around 7,300 deaths due to COVID-19 in Finland by the end of March 2022
According to a preliminary analysis by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), more than 7,300 deaths due to COVID-19 were prevented by coronavirus vaccines between 27 December 2020 and 31 March 2022. The exact result was 7,321 and the 95 percent confidence interval 6,602–8,084. In addition, vaccines may have prevented more than a thousand deaths in which coronavirus would have been a contributing factor.
This data is from THL's yet-to-be-published register-based analysis. According to the analysis, vaccines prevented deaths in particular in people over the age of 70 and other risk groups. Vaccines also prevented deaths in younger age groups. For example, approximately 30 deaths due to COVID-19 were prevented in people aged 30–39 who do not belong to a risk group (result 29; 95 percent confidence interval 10–54).
“According to the study, the number of prevented deaths was more than three times higher than the number of COVID-19 deaths, which was 1,753 during the observation period. Vaccines have had a significant impact on preventing severe cases of coronavirus infection. Without the vaccines, the number of severe cases would have been much higher,” says Ulrike Baum, Statistical Researcher at THL.
Third dose effective especially in preventing COVID-19 deaths in older people
Coronavirus vaccines have been administered to the population since December 2020. A series of three vaccinations is recommended for those aged 18–59 and a series of four for those aged 60–64 who do not belong to a risk group. Those over the age of 65 and those in risk groups are recommended a tailored booster dose in early winter regardless of their previous vaccine doses.
According to the analysis, a third vaccine dose prevented approximately 1,300 COVID-19 deaths during the observation period (result 1,297; 95 percent confidence interval 1,046–1,537), especially among those over the age of 70. On the other hand, a third dose had only a minor impact on preventing COVID-19 deaths in healthy people under the age of 60.
“In working-age people outside risk groups, the currently recommended vaccinations significantly reduce the number of severe cases. Only five deaths due to COVID-19 were recorded during the observation period in those under the age of 60 who had received their second or third dose. The number is low when put in proportion to those with two doses in the 70–79 age bracket, where a total of 112 deaths due to COVID-19 were recorded,” says Eero Poukka, Medical Specialist at THL.
"In order to reduce the number of coronavirus deaths in Finland in the future, vaccinations should be targeted at older people and other risk groups. Administering new booster doses is one example. THL is currently investigating when an additional booster dose should be recommended for these groups,” Poukka continues.
Monitoring of vaccine efficacy continues also for new variants
THL will continue monitoring the effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines in the coming years. The vaccine effectiveness will also be assessed for new COVID-19 variants. In addition, THL will study the possible additional protection against severe forms of disease and COVID-19 deaths from variant-tailored vaccines introduced last autumn.
The data are used to assess the coronavirus vaccination recommendations.
Further information
Eero Poukka
Medical Specialist
THL
tel. +358 29 524 7956
[email protected]
Ulrike Baum
Statistical Researcher
THL
tel. +358 29 524 7504
[email protected]
