Vaccination for COVID-19 has reduced by 22% the number of COVID-19 deaths among hospitalized patients dependent on oxygen, according to a new study. Patients who need oxygen therapy represent the vast majority of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the current pandemic wave, investigators say.
COVID-19 vaccines are known to prevent hospitalizations in up to 90% of cases and reduce the number of deaths in severe cases. But 5% of vaccinated patients do become severely ill, the researchers said. Those most at risk of experiencing systemic inflammation, lung damage and blood clotting disorders typically include older and frail people with comorbidities, such as nursing home residents and the immunocompromised.
In order to assess the effect of vaccines on mortality in these sickest of patients, the investigators performed a retrospective study, evaluating data from more than 20,000 COVID-19 patients across 148 hospitals between January 2020 and May 2022. Unlike previous studies, the current analysis included the clinical characteristics of the patient groups, adjusted for higher burden of comorbidities and other risk factors.
Acute lung injury
Results showed a significant reduction in in-hospital mortality among vaccinated patients who had developed an inflammatory response to SARS-CoV-2 and experienced acute lung injury, the authors reported. The data fill an important knowledge gap about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against moderate and severe disease, revealing that many deaths remain preventable, they added.
“Our study and its results … can better inform updated vaccination schedules for many millions of people who are among the most vulnerable groups,” study lead David Gómez-Varela, PhD, of the University of Vienna in Austria said in a statement.
Full findings were published in the Journal of Medical Virology.
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