Adults who received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine have a lower risk of death, regardless of the cause, according to a new study conducted in France. The research shows that individuals vaccinated with at least one mRNA COVID-19 dose had a reduced risk of mortality compared with those who remained unvaccinated.

The study examined 28 million French adults aged 18 to 59 and tracked outcomes over a median period of 45 months. Researchers found that vaccinated individuals had a 74 percent lower risk of dying from severe COVID-19 and a 25 percent lower risk of death from all causes. The protective effect was attributed not only to the vaccines’ strong defense against severe infection but also to fewer complications related to long COVID, which may contribute to overall mortality reduction.

The research was conducted by Epi-Phare, a scientific interest group overseen by the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety (ANSM), in collaboration with the French National Health Insurance Fund. The team analysed data from the French National Health Data System, comparing 22.7 million people vaccinated between May and October 2021 with 5.9 million unvaccinated individuals as of November 1, 2021.

During the follow-up period, 98,429 deaths from all causes (0.4 percent) occurred among vaccinated participants, compared with 32,662 deaths (0.6 percent) among the unvaccinated. The study found no evidence of increased mortality from cancer, cardiovascular disease, accidental injury, or any other major cause. In every category, vaccinated individuals had equal or lower death rates than their unvaccinated counterparts.

Researchers concluded that a causal link between mRNA vaccination and excess long-term mortality appears highly unlikely, underscoring the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.

The study is the largest to date assessing the long-term safety of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in the general adult population. The findings, however, are limited to adults under 60 and do not directly reflect outcomes for older populations, who face the highest risk from COVID-19.

In the European Union, more than 976 million COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered as of February 2023, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Vaccination programs have continued, with tens of millions of additional booster doses given each season.

The research provides robust evidence supporting the long-term benefits of COVID-19 vaccination in reducing deaths from the virus and other causes. Public health experts say the findings may reassure vaccine-hesitant individuals and reinforce the importance of ongoing vaccination efforts, particularly among younger adults who may perceive their risk from COVID-19 as low.

This study adds to a growing body of international research demonstrating that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are both safe and effective, offering protection not only against severe illness but also against overall mortality in the adult population.

A major scientific review has concluded that children can safely follow vegetarian or vegan diets, provided they receive the right supplements or consume foods fortified with essential nutrients. The findings, published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, assessed how plant-based eating patterns affect growth, health, and nutrient intake among young people.

Researchers examined data from nearly 49,000 children and teenagers across 18 countries, comparing those who followed vegetarian, vegan, and omnivorous diets. The study’s lead author, Monica Dinu of the University of Florence, said the results show that plant-based diets can support healthy development when they are carefully planned. She stressed that key nutrients must be monitored to avoid deficiencies.

The review found that vegetarian children typically consumed more fibre, iron, folate, vitamin C, and magnesium than their meat-eating peers. However, their intake of energy, protein, fat, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and zinc was lower. Similar patterns were observed among vegan children, whose calcium intake was notably low. According to the researchers, vitamin B12 was consistently inadequate without fortified foods or supplements.

Study co-author Jeannette Beasley of New York University noted that children on vegetarian and vegan diets may require supplementation for nutrients such as vitamin B12, calcium, iodine, and zinc. These gaps were most evident among vegans, who avoid all animal products, including dairy and eggs.

Despite these shortcomings, the review identified several health advantages linked to plant-based diets. Both vegetarian and vegan children showed signs of stronger cardiovascular health compared with omnivores. The study reported lower cholesterol levels, including reduced low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which is associated with a higher risk of heart disease. Vegetarian children were generally slightly shorter and leaner, with lower body mass index and fat mass, though these differences remained within healthy ranges.

The authors cautioned that interpreting the results has limitations. It remains difficult to determine whether the diets themselves caused the observed health outcomes. Families adopting plant-based eating patterns may also differ in lifestyle or socioeconomic factors that influence children’s health.

Given the increasing number of households adopting plant-based diets for ethical, environmental, or health reasons, researchers urged parents to seek guidance from paediatricians or dieticians when planning meals for children. They also called for more official recommendations to help families ensure adequate nutrient intake during key stages of growth.

Dinu said the team hopes the findings will help families better understand the potential benefits and risks associated with plant-based diets, enabling them to make informed decisions that support children’s long-term wellbeing.

A sperm donor carrying a rare cancer-causing genetic mutation has fathered nearly 200 children across Europe, according to an investigation led by the European Broadcasting Union, involving 14 public service broadcasters. The man, who appeared healthy and passed standard screening, donated sperm for approximately 17 years while he was a student.

The mutation, found in the TP53 gene, increases the risk of cells becoming cancerous. Children who inherit the mutation develop Li Fraumeni syndrome, a disorder associated with up to a 90 percent lifetime risk of cancer. Some donor-conceived children have already died, and many more are expected to develop cancer in the future.

Doctors first identified the risk this year after discovering 23 children carrying the mutation among 67 known cases, 10 of whom had already been diagnosed with cancer. Investigators reported that the donor’s sperm was used to conceive at least 197 children in 14 countries, though the actual number may be higher. Children have been born in Denmark, Belgium, Spain, Greece, and Germany, with additional recipients in Ireland, Poland, Albania, Kosovo, and Sweden. A small number of women from the United Kingdom were also treated at clinics in Denmark, according to Peter Thompson, chief executive of the UK’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

Denmark’s European Sperm Bank, which supplied the samples, admitted the sperm was overused and expressed “deepest sympathy” to affected families. The bank said the mutation could not have been detected through routine screening and immediately blocked the donor once the problem was discovered.

Experts have described the case as both a regulatory failure and an extraordinary coincidence. Jackson Kirkman-Brown, a professor at the University of Birmingham, noted that detecting new mutations in sperm is difficult and that the core issue lies in insufficient monitoring of how often a single donor’s sperm is used. Clare Turnbull from the UK Institute of Cancer Research said the situation reflects a highly unusual combination: a donor carrying a rare mutation and that same sperm being used to create a large number of children. She added that the mutation likely arose in the donor’s testes and spread among sperm cells, a phenomenon known as selfish spermatogonial selection.

The investigation has also highlighted differences in European regulations on sperm donation. Family and child limits vary widely: in Cyprus, a donor may contribute to only one child, while France, Greece, Italy, and Poland allow up to 10. Denmark limits donations to 12 families, and Sweden and Norway to six families. Some countries maintain anonymous donations, though disclosure may occur in cases of severe health conditions.

Euronews Health has contacted the European Sperm Bank for comment but has not yet received a response. The case has renewed calls from experts for tighter international oversight of sperm donation to prevent similar incidents in the future.