Researchers estimate that COVID-19 vaccines saved almost 20 million lives in their first year, although even more fatalities could have been prevented if international targets for the shots had been met, reports the Associated Press.

 

The authors analyzed data from 185 countries to calculate that vaccines prevented 4.2 million COVID-19 deaths in India, 1.9 million in the United States, 1 million in Brazil, 631,000 in France, and 507,000 in Britain. The study published in Lancet Infectious Diseases speculated that another 600,000 deaths would have been avoided if the World Health Organization goal of 40 percent vaccination coverage by the end of last year had been reached.

 

Bristol Medical School's Adam Finn said the findings highlight both the accomplishments and the limitations of the vaccination push. "Although we did pretty well this time — we saved millions and millions of lives — we could have done better and we should do better in the future," he concluded.