New data released by the Office for National Statistics shows that just 0.5% of COVID deaths in the first 6 months of 2021 involved fully vaccinated individuals, supporting the fact that the COVID-19 vaccine is saving lives.
Throughout the pandemic, Islanders have asked the media for more and more information about COVID patients, vaccination statistics and specifics about COVID-related deaths. Although this critical new data has been released, we look at what information is actually available to the public and the press…
This is some of the information everyone can access:
- The number of COVID cases found the day before
- The rolling rate of COVID cases in the area
- The number of people who have died in hospital, either with a positive COVID test or where COVID was mentioned on the death certificate
- The number of people who have died, due to COVID, in community settings
- Hospital activity — the number of COVID patients, those on ventilation and staffing absences
- The number of COVID vaccinations given — a breakdown of age groups and where on the Island
One drawback is that these sources lag behind — some more than a week late and others by just a couple of days.
In other cases, national data is not available to be broken down in local areas or the Island is put together with Hampshire or Southampton so no specific numbers can be determined.
Among the data the public, and press, do not have access to includes the age of those who died with COVID locally or when they caught the virus. Data is also not released to show where cases were caught.
Coming back to the vaccination status of those who have died from COVID-19… data shows that between 2nd January and 2nd July this year a total of 51,281 deaths involved COVID. Of those who died, 256 occurred with people who were fully vaccinated and had their first positive PCR test at least 14 days after their second dose (fully vaccinated). The average age of these deaths was 84.
Staggeringly, 38,964 deaths involved unvaccinated people.
Unfortunately, these national statistics are unable to be broken down locally, despite public interest. The Isle of Wight NHS Trust has said the death reporting it does in the hospital does not require vaccination status, so does not have a robust figure. To find that information out, it would need to access each patient’s medical history — which is forbidden, when not providing care.
NHS England has been asked if a trust breakdown would be released.
So far an amazing 90% of the UK population aged over 16 have received 1 dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 80% having received both doses. Despite this, and evidence that the vaccine works, rumbles are starting to be heard of more restrictions potentially being imposed this winter.
Out of interest what was the average age for those 39k people?
Article says average age 84
no