Study: 3 million excess deaths in Western nations from 2020-2022 despite COVID-19 vaccine rollout

A recent study from the Netherlands has revealed an ongoing rise in excess deaths, despite vaccination efforts and containment measures.

The findings, published in BMJ Public Health on Monday (3 June), underscore the need for thorough investigations into the underlying causes of persistent excess mortality during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Titled “Excess Mortality Across Western Countries Since the COVID-19 Pandemic: Our World in Data Estimates from January 2020 to December 2022,” the report sheds light on significant excess mortality trends, offering crucial insights for evaluating health crisis policies.

The methodology involved extracting all-cause mortality reports from the ‘Our World in Data‘ database.

The research unveiled that the cumulative excess deaths in 47 Western countries from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic until 2022 exceeded 3 million.

Excess mortality was observed in 41 countries (87%) in 2020, 42 countries (89%) in 2021, and 43 countries (91%) in 2022, the study revealed.

In 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of containment measures saw 1,033,122 excess deaths.

The study contextualizes these figures within the pandemic’s timeline, noting the peak of excess deaths in 2021 (1,256,942), coinciding with both containment measures and vaccination efforts.

By 2022, as containment measures relaxed and COVID-19 vaccination continued, preliminary data indicated 808,392 excess deaths.

The researchers from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam underscored the importance of acknowledging all deaths, regardless of their cause.

“Although COVID-19 vaccines were provided to guard civilians from suffering morbidity and mortality by the COVID-19 virus, suspected adverse events have been documented.”

“Both medical professionals and citizens have reported serious injuries and deaths following vaccination to various official databases in the western World.”

They added: “During the pandemic, it was emphasised by politicians and the media on a daily basis that every COVID-19 death mattered and every life deserved protection through containment measures and COVID-19 vaccines. ”

“In the aftermath of the pandemic, the same morale should apply.”

The researchers emphasized the importance of acknowledging and accounting for every death, regardless of its cause, and stressed the need for transparency regarding potential lethal factors.

However, the study highlights several limitations of the study, including incomplete death reporting, delays in data availability, and discrepancies in reporting practices across countries.

It emphasizes the preliminary nature of the data presented, which may undergo revisions over time, and the lack of detailed sociodemographic stratification in the analysis.

Nevertheless, the study advocates for postmortem examinations to accurately determine causes of death and urges government leaders and policymakers to investigate the underlying causes of persistent excess mortality and evaluate health crisis policies accordingly.

Singapore’s Health Ministry refutes opposition claims on COVID-19 vaccination safety

Recently, The Ministry of Health (MOH) in Singapore has strongly refuted allegations made by the alternative party the People’s Power Party regarding the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, dismissing their claims as “egregious and false.”

The party had urged for a suspension of the vaccination program in a Facebook post dated 28 May, citing purported studies and expert analyses suggesting severe side effects and linking vaccinations to excess deaths.

Responding to these allegations, the MOH issued a detailed statement on Monday, emphasizing the reliability of scientific data over unfounded claims.

“The assertions made by the People’s Power Party are not only unsupported by evidence, but they are dangerously misleading,” the ministry stated.

“It is imperative that the public draws the right conclusions based on robust scientific research and factual evidence about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.”