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Covid vaccines prevented 20 million deaths in first year of rollout: Study

While more than 7 million deaths were likely averted in countries covered by Covax, the WHO-backed distribution program, the research nonetheless highlights the devastation caused by uneven access

Residents wait in observation after receiving a dose of the Astrazeneca Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination clinic in Mexico City, Mexico, on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. (Photo: Bloomberg)
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Residents wait in observation after receiving a dose of the Astrazeneca Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination clinic in Mexico City, Mexico, on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. (Photo: Bloomberg)

James Paton | Bloomberg
Covid vaccines that were developed in record time saved an estimated 20 million lives in the first year of the rollout, more than half of them in wealthier countries, according to the first study of its kind to quantify the impact.
 
While more than 7 million deaths were likely averted in countries covered by Covax, the World Health Organization-backed distribution program, the research nonetheless highlights the devastation caused by uneven access. About one in five lives lost due to Covid in poorer countries could have been prevented if WHO targets had been reached, data published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases

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