FOI Ref: FOI/2022/4006
You asked
Please confirm the number of deaths caused by the COVID-19 vaccination.
Could these be broken down by brand of vaccination?
Please also supply the number of adverse reactions from a COVID-19 vaccination.
We said
Thank you for your enquiry.
Deaths involving the COVID-19 vaccination
Our data is derived from the death certificate, using information received at the point of death registration. For the vaccine to be mentioned on the death certificate the medical professional certifying the death must have believed, to the best of their knowledge, that the vaccine was part of the events that led to the death. Deaths reported as due to or involving the COVID-19 vaccination are recorded using ICD-10 code U12.9. We do not receive information on the brand of vaccination administered and therefore do not hold this breakdown.
We report deaths attributed to adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccination monthly within our Monthly Mortality Analysis. The latest data available is January 2022.
There are currently 24 deaths registered in England and Wales with the aligning ICD codes for this, 18 of these deaths have ICD-10 U12.9 as the underlying cause.
Please note that these are deaths across all age groups since the rollout of the vaccination in December 2020 and there are no deaths registered under the age of 30.
This data will be updated for February 2022 on 24 March 2022.
For further information please contact Health.Data@ons.gov.uk
Adverse reactions
We do not hold data regarding adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccination that do not result in death.
The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority's (MHRA) role is to continually monitor the safety of any medicine or vaccine once they are approved for use. Yellow Card is a website where any member of the public or health professional can report any suspected side effect. This includes deaths, which are reported by others on behalf of the deceased person. As the information is self-reported, it means that the suspected side effects are not always proven and some of the side effects may have occurred regardless of the vaccine.
MHRA are better placed to answer your enquiry, as they are responsible for the Yellow Card Scheme. They can be contacted using this form.
We also recommend reading the following blog regarding the difference in ONS data to Yellow Card scheme data: How many people have died as a result of a COVID-19 vaccine? | National Statistical (ons.gov.uk)