A new study led by Stanford University estimates that COVID-19 vaccinations saved 2.5 million lives worldwide between 2020 and 2024—roughly 17 million fewer than earlier reports had suggested, with most of the lives saved among older adults.
Published Friday in JAMA Health Forum, the study found that one death was prevented for every 5,400 vaccine doses administered during that period. Official global estimates report around 7 million COVID-related deaths over those four years, the Washington Times reported.
The study, conducted by three Stanford researchers, found that 90% of the lives saved were among individuals aged 60 and older, and 82% of those lives were saved by vaccines given before infection.
Lead author John P. A. Ioannidis, a Stanford epidemiologist, noted that the new estimates are significantly lower than earlier claims that vaccines saved 20 million lives in their first year alone.
