Covid vaccines prevented 88,000 hospitalizations in the Netherlands in 13 months

Vaccinations against the coronavirus disease Covid-19 prevented about 88,000 hospital admissions in more than a year, according to a "cautious estimate" by the Dutch public health institute RIVM. There was a high likelihood that vaccination against Covid-19 stopped even more hospitalizations from occurring than what could be initially observed with their data analysis.

The organization analyzed the period between 2 August 2021 and 30 August 2022. During that time, researchers determined that few people over 60 required hospitalization, and there was a significant impact among younger groups, as well.

About 45,000 people with Covid-19 were admitted into hospitals during the timeframe, according to data from hospital and intensive care monitor NICE. "Thus, the number of hospital admissions that were prevented is twice as large as the actual number of hospital admissions," according to the RIVM.

The health institute emphasized that this is a conservative estimate. In reality, it suspects that vaccination probably prevented even more hospital admissions.

"In this analysis, for example, the RIVM has not included the indirect effects of vaccination. Vaccinated people have a smaller chance of infecting others. As a result, fewer people have become ill who might have otherwise also wound up in the hospital.”