Cyprus saw a substantial increase in mortality from all causes in late 2021 and early 2022 following the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines, a peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health found. Researchers from Cyprus, the University of Liverpool and Harvard University found that during the third and fourth quarters of 2021, total deaths in the island nation increased 34.1% and 11.
8% respectively. During the first quarter of 2022, total deaths increased 30.7%.
Cyprus began its COVID-19 vaccine rollout in December 2020, but the peaks in monthly vaccination rates occurred in May 2021 and December 2021 and were followed by jumps in the mortality rates. “We concluded that excess mortality occurs at unprecedented levels in Cyprus,” the researchers wrote. “Our findings raise serious concerns regarding the potential impact of the vaccination campaign and other causes on mortality.
” The authors published their findings in the Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health. Based on the association they identified, they said, “a detailed cause-specific investigation of such a significant excess number of deaths is warranted to explore the potential factors leading to this concerning and unexplained increase in population mortality.” The researchers analyzed mortality data from 2016-2022, as reported by the Cyprus Ministry of Health to the European Statistical Office, or Eurostat.
They also analyzed weekly data on COVID-19 vaccinations and rela.
