Possible Impact of COVID-19 Vaccines on Increasing Excess Mortality: A Call for Further Research
Scientists from the Netherlands have expressed concern about the possible contribution of COVID-19 vaccines to the increase in excess mortality recorded since the start of the pandemic. In their study, published in BMJ Public Health, they call for more in-depth analyses of vaccine side effects and their possible link to mortality rates.
Analysing excess deaths
Researchers from the Free University of Amsterdam analysed data from 47 Western countries and found that there have been more than three million excess deaths since 2020. These figures remain high despite the introduction of vaccines and other measures to contain the virus.
‘Although COVID-19 vaccines have been provided to protect populations from morbidity and mortality, suspected side effects have also been documented,’ the study authors said.
Side effects and their impact
The scientists noted that official databases in Western countries have received reports from health care providers and citizens of serious injuries and deaths following vaccination. Side effects associated with COVID-19 vaccines can include ischaemic stroke, acute coronary syndrome, cerebral haemorrhage, cardiovascular disease, blood clotting problems, gastrointestinal events and bleeding.
Excess mortality statistics
The study found that there were more than one million excess deaths in Europe, the US and Australia in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, 1.2 million in 2021 and 800,000 in 2022 after the introduction of vaccines. These figures include COVID-19 deaths as well as the indirect effects of public health strategies to control the virus.
Calls for further research
The German researchers also noted that the rise in excess deaths in early 2021 coincided with the start of mass vaccination, which warrants further study. However, more recent data on vaccine side effects remains unavailable to the public as countries maintain their own self-reported databases.
The impact of restrictions on healthcare
Gordon Wishart, chief medical officer of Check4Cancer and visiting professor of cancer surgery at Anglia Ruskin University, has warned that delaying cancer diagnosis will lead to increased mortality. NHS England data shows that around 45,000 cases of cancer were missed in the first year of the pandemic, leading to later diagnosis and consequently less effective treatment.
Conclusion
The researchers emphasise the need for further analysis to better understand the underlying causes of excess mortality.
‘The paper raises more questions than it answers, but it is hard to disagree with their conclusion that further analyses are needed to understand the underlying causes of excess mortality to better prepare for future management of pandemic crises,’ said Gordon Wishart.
These findings emphasise the importance of continued research to ensure vaccine safety and an adequate response to future pandemics.
From information sent by an anonymous source
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