Summary: Recent findings have raised concerns about the long-term impacts of COVID-19 vaccination and lockdown measures, which appear to be associated with unprecedented years of life lost. According to EuroMomo data, which includes mortality data from 22 European countries and Israel, life years lost have increased by 60% since the pandemic began, with an alarming 384% increase after mass vaccinations were introduced. Despite the introduction of vaccines and the Omicron variant's lower mortality, excess mortality has continued to rise, particularly among younger age groups, challenging the effectiveness of these public health measures. The WHO continued endorsement of vaccination without comprehensive reviews of these impacts has sparked increasing criticism.
Background/Context: The global response to the COVID-19 pandemic included not only widespread vaccination campaigns but also lockdown measures aimed at controlling the spread of the virus. However, as time has passed, a growing body of evidence suggests that these interventions have contributed to significant excess mortality, particularly among certain age groups. The EuroMomo mortality data, which tracks excess deaths across 22 European countries and Israel, shows that life years lost have spiked dramatically since vaccinations were rolled out. This rise in excess mortality has persisted despite the dominance of the Omicron variant, which is associated with a lower mortality rate.
In particular, the data reveals a stark trend: younger age groups—such as those aged 0-14 years and 15-44 years—have experienced exceptionally high excess mortality since the introduction of mass vaccinations. This contrasts sharply with the 0.035% COVID-19 mortality rate in individuals under 60, raising questions about the long-term consequences of vaccination policies and lockdowns on public health.
Relevant WHO Policy/Action: The World Health Organization (WHO), along with national health agencies, promoted the rapid deployment of COVID-19 vaccines and global lockdown measures as the primary strategies to combat the pandemic. The WHO's stance has largely focused on vaccine efficacy and global health equity, urging countries to adopt widespread vaccination strategies, especially for high-risk populations. However, the organization has not adequately addressed or investigated the long-term health consequences of vaccination, particularly the ongoing excess mortality and years of life lost.
Despite emerging concerns, the WHO has continued to assert that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the risks. However, critics argue that the WHO's endorsement of mass vaccination has been one-size-fits-all, with insufficient consideration for individual country conditions and healthcare needs. This has been compounded by a lack of post-vaccination surveillance on severe long-term health outcomes, including heart inflammation, autoimmune disorders, and cancer progression.
Legal or Regulatory Violations: While the WHO and the CDC operate within a framework of public health regulations, there are concerns that the overarching policies—particularly the mass vaccination campaigns—have not adhered to adequate precautionary principles or risk-benefit analysis for certain age groups. As highlighted by experts like Dr. Masanori Fukushima, these bodies may have violated principles of scientific integrity by promoting interventions without a thorough, transparent investigation into the long-term health impacts. Specifically, the lack of accountability for vaccine-related harms in terms of legal recourse in some countries may further reflect a regulatory failure on a global scale.
In Japan, for instance, there have been over 2,000 reported deaths linked to COVID-19 vaccines, yet there has been insufficient follow-up or policy action from the WHO or Japanese authorities. Legal systems in many countries, including Japan, Europe, and the United States, have allowed for vaccine manufacturers to be shielded from liability in many instances, compounding the issue.
Consequences/Impact: The impact of COVID-19 vaccines and lockdowns on life expectancy and overall public health has been devastating, according to recent data from EuroMomo. The increase in life years lost is particularly troubling for younger individuals, where the years of life lost since mass vaccinations were rolled out are disproportionately high. For instance, the 45-64 and 65-74 age groups have seen the greatest number of life years lost, which challenges the notion that vaccination policies are effective in preserving overall population health.
This rise in excess mortality undermines the effectiveness of lockdowns and mass vaccination campaigns. The WHO’s inaction regarding these trends and its failure to address mounting evidence of harms has led to a growing distrust among the public and experts alike. The trend of increasing life years lost is contrary to what would be expected for effective COVID-19 countermeasures, including vaccination and lockdowns, and highlights the need for a comprehensive review of the public health response to the pandemic.
Primary Sources:
WHO’s official position on COVID-19 vaccinations
WHO COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan 2022
Covid-19: is omicron less lethal than delta?
Study fatality rate Myocarditis or Pericarditis after an mRNA COVID Vaccine.
Age-stratified infection fatality rate of COVID-19 in the non-elderly population
WHO standing recommendations (until April 2025)
Links to Commentary:
People of the World are Dramatically Losing Years of Life
MD, Ph.D. Masanori Fukushima’s speech on vaccine-related harms
MD, Ph.D. Masanori Fukushima’s address to the Japanese Ministry of Health
Covid-19: is omicron less lethal than delta?
Japan exempts liability of pharmaceutical companies
Excess mortality across countries in the Western World since the COVID-19 pandemic
