A study by Dr. Rolf Steyer and Dr. Gregor Kappler found that when weighted with the relative number of inhabitants of a federal state, the correlation between excess mortality in federal states and their vaccination rates is surprisingly high.
The researchers noted in their report that this finding is worrying and "needs to be explained if further policy measures are to be taken with the aim of increasing the vaccination rate."
Vaccinated countries have high excess mortality rates
In May, reports showed that Uruguay had the highest death rate in the world per capita for several weeks despite having one of the most successful inoculation drives. This is also a common situation in other highly vaccinated countries such as Bahrain and the Maldives.
Uruguay, a country of around 3.5 million people, recorded an average of 55 deaths a day and 1.6 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, a figure that remained consistent since the cases surged in April.
Bahrain recorded 0.9 deaths per 100,000, and the Maldives have similarly sobering metrics that reported far greater deaths than countries like the United States (0.15 per 100,000) and India (0.29 per 100,000).
Countries like Chile and Seychelles also rank among the worst COVID infection surges in the world. Although they have higher vaccination levels than the U.S., experts still warn that lifting restrictions too early could make the public complacent.
Dr. Jude Gedeon, the public health commissioner of Seychelles, said that the outbreaks were partially fueled by the resumption of economic activity and the complacency of public health measures like wearing a mask and social distancing.
This sentiment is echoed by the Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who said that the country has lifted its restrictions too soon.
In the U.S. and many other wealthy countries, vaccines are seen as an exit strategy from the economic and social restrictions of the pandemic. As the vaccination rates rise in the U.S., experts and officials continue to urge people not to be complacent, and for officials not to remove restrictions too soon for fear of resurgent waves of the disease.
However, changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines allowed vaccinated people to do without facemasks, leading to a slate of states rescinding their mask mandates. (Related: Data show excess mortality all around the world due to covid "vaccines".)
Complete vaccination indirectly increases likelihood of deaths
In the study by Steyer and Kappler, they found that the most direct explanation to the matter is that complete vaccination still increases the likelihood of death in a more indirect manner.
For instance, the higher the proportion of the elderly, the higher the vaccination rate and excess mortality. Thus, vaccination rates and excess mortality also correlate.
There is also the possibility that higher vaccination rates are achieved by increased stress and anxiety, which can lead to increased numbers of deaths.
Two states that the researchers looked into are Thuringia (four percent) and Saxony (two percent). They have the lowest vaccination rates and also the lowest excess mortality.
The frontrunner is Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, with a vaccination rate of 66 percent and an excess mortality rate of 16 percent. Other highly vaccinated states also showed a double-digit increase in excess mortality rate.
With the findings, statisticians demanded to see urgent clarification on the issue, adding that "these figures are worrying and require explanation if further political measures are to be taken with the aim of increasing the vaccination rate."
The study has since been handed over to the Thuringian state parliament to assess the matter further.
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