PARIS - Results from Health at a Glance 2021 underline the need to strengthen resilience of health systems. COVID-19 contributed, directly and indirectly, to a 16% increase in the expected number of deaths in 2020 and the first half of 2021 across OECD countries. Life expectancy fell in 24 of 30 countries. Older people and socially disadvantaged groups are more likely to be severely ill or die from the virus.
In the 12 OECD countries with vaccinations rates above 65% (as of mid-October), weekly deaths from COVID-19 have fallen by an average of 86% since late-January 2021. However, vaccination rates remain very low in many developing countries.
