According to a new research study, computer simulations conducted by a team of researchers from universities in Melbourne and Tel Aviv indicated that without the vaccination campaign, the death rate among older Australians would have been approximately six times higher during the same period. The report highlighted that the vaccination efforts prevented around 17,760 deaths among individuals over 50 years old between August 2021 and July 2022. The success of the Australian vaccination campaign in reducing mortality was noted in the report due to the high levels of engagement from Australians and the achievement of significant vaccination rates right before the Omicron outbreak in 2022.
The research utilized modeling based on data from state and federal health departments to analyze various scenarios related to the impact of vaccinations on older individuals in NSW. The study focused on areas such as the number of deaths that could have been averted with earlier complete vaccination, the effectiveness of the booster vaccine rollout in preventing deaths, and the predicted death toll in the absence of any vaccination efforts. The data revealed a substantial impact on preventing deaths, with 440 lives estimated to have been saved with earlier vaccination and 1,860 deaths averted by the booster campaign.
The report also highlighted the rapid pace of Australia's vaccination rollout, noting that the country initially had low vaccination coverage but later achieved one of the highest rates globally by the end of 2021. The study predicted the potential outcomes if the population had remained unvaccinated, including severe outbreaks of the Delta and Omicron variants. However, with the successful vaccination efforts, the actual death toll from COVID-19 in NSW was significantly lower than what it could have been in the absence of vaccinations. The research underscored the importance of high vaccination rates in reducing both mortality and transmission of the virus.