Translated with AI
On December 31, 2019, the first reports of an unknown pneumonia spreading in Wuhan emerged, marking the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2023, after more than 6.9 million deaths had been confirmed, the WHO declared the end of the global health emergency. However, the virus itself has not disappeared, according to the UN press service.
Recent studies conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, together with partners from seven countries, demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 infection continues to lead to hospitalizations and deaths in the European Region. Furthermore, the latest vaccines are the most effective way to prevent severe disease.
COVID-19 remains dangerous The EuroSAVE network, established in 2021 to monitor the spread of severe respiratory infections, analyzed nearly 4,000 hospitalizations in six countries between May 2023 and April 2024. Nearly 10 percent of the patients studied were infected with COVID-19. More than two-thirds of those infected were over 60 years of age or had chronic health conditions—the very groups the WHO recommends annual booster vaccination. In reality, only 3 percent of patients in these countries had received a vaccination in the previous 12 months.
COVID-19 continues to lead to severe outcomes: 13 percent of patients were admitted to intensive care, and 11 percent died. A comparative study from 2022 to 2024 showed that those hospitalized with COVID-19 were more likely to require oxygen support, intensive care, and had a higher risk of death than patients with the common flu.
High vaccine efficacy Two other EuroSAVE studies confirmed the high efficacy of existing vaccines. One, based on data from Kosovo, found that receiving the vaccine in the last six months reduced the risk of hospitalization by 72 percent and the risk of severe outcomes by 67 percent. Another study, conducted in six countries, showed a 60 percent reduction in hospitalizations.
WHO emphasizes the importance of annual booster vaccination for older people, patients with chronic diseases and weakened immune systems, pregnant women and health care workers.
