FOI REF: FOI/2023/4830
You asked
I would like to know about vaccination injuries and deaths in relation to COVID-19.
I'd also like to know the 5 year average of deaths versus the deaths that occurred in the jab and mandate areas.
Jabbed period is precise and excess deaths followed. I'd like these numbers and also jabbed death numbers.
Also I'd like the data on funeral homes data and life insurance death data.
We said
Thank you for your enquiry,
Deaths involving vaccine and vaccine injuries and adverse reactions
Our mortality data comes from the information collected at death registration. All of the conditions mentioned on the death certificate are coded using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). From all of these causes, an underlying cause of death is selected using ICD-10 coding rules. The underlying cause of death is defined by WHO as:
- The disease or injury that initiated the train of events directly leading to death, or
- The circumstances of the accident or violence that produced the fatal injury
Deaths that were due to a vaccination are coded to Y58 and Y59. Additionally, deaths due to COVID-19 vaccines causing adverse effects in therapeutic use are coded to U129.
Deaths registered as attributed to the COVID-19 vaccine can be found in table 14 of Monthly mortality analysis, England and Wales. The ICD-10 code is U12.9 COVID-19 vaccines causing adverse effects in therapeutic use, unspecified.
The latest available analysis is December 2022.
In England, there are 59 deaths registered involving COVID-19 vaccines causing adverse effects in therapeutic use, of which 51 have this ICD-10 code as the underlying cause of death.
In Wales, there is 1 death registered with COVID-19 vaccines causing adverse effects in therapeutic use as the underlying cause.
Data for January 2023 will be published on 23 February 2023.
You can access annual mortality figures between 2013-2021 by using the interactive dataset available on our NOMIS webservice. This provides annual deaths due to vaccines (ICD-10 code Y58, Y59, U12.9). Please see the following instructions of the use of this service:
- Select dates (2013 to 2021)
- Select the geography (England and Wales, regional or by local authority).
- Select Age - All ages or 5-year age bands.
- Select Gender - Total or Male/Female
- Select rates - All deaths, rates or percentage of population for example.
- Select cause of death (ICD10 code search is available or select Y58, Y59 and U12.9).
- Select format (Excel or CSV for example)
Vaccine adverse effects
Unfortunately, we do not hold data relating to adverse effects of the COVID-19 or other vaccinations that do not result in death.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) are better placed to answer this enquiry, as they are responsible for the Yellow Card scheme.
For further information please contact info@mhra.gov.uk
COVID-19 and all cause deaths by vaccine status and excess deaths by vaccination status
We produce the following analysis for England: Deaths by vaccination status, England - Office for National Statistics. This is the latest analysis we have available.
To note, vaccinations data for Wales is not yet available to be linked to the mortality dataset. Therefore, we do not hold this information for Wales.
The current January 2021 to May 2022 publications use Census 2011 data. This only covers 79% of the population because the rates are derived for the cohort of people enumerated at 2011 Census who were registered with a GP (General Practitioner) at the beginning of the pandemic and who were alive at the beginning of the month of interest.
The next publication will use Census 2021 data, this way we can be representative of a much larger proportion of the population including people who migrated since the 2011 Census and people too young to be included in the 2011 Census.
This publication will include a back series of January 2021 to December 2022 data analysed using Census 2021 data and is due to be released on 21 February 2023.
To calculate excess deaths in a particular year, the data from that year must be compared to the 5-year average. As the first vaccination was administered on 8 December 2020, we do not hold 5 years-worth of information to compare to 2022 deaths by vaccination status data to provide an 'excess deaths' figure. This is the reason that the information you requested regarding excess deaths by vaccination status is not held.
If you wish to make comparisons between the deaths of those who have and haven't received the COVID-19 vaccination between 2021 and 2022, you can do so using the information in this publication. However, please note that we would not recommend this as a reliable method to calculate 'excess deaths', as averaging over five years removes the fluctuations seen year-on-year. Furthermore, vaccination levels were higher in 2022 than in 2021, so this does not produce a reliable comparison.
Excess deaths and the five-year average
We hold the following analysis Excess deaths in England and Wales which looks at the number of excess deaths, including deaths due to coronavirus (COVID-19) and due to other causes. Including breakdowns by age, sex and geography from March 2020 to June 2022.
With regards to the five year average, the years 2015 to 2019 are still the most recent years which were not impacted by COVID-19, however the further we move away from 2015 the less helpful this measure becomes due to the changing structure of the population.
Including 2020 in the five-year average would greatly increase the number of deaths we would class as 'expected' each week, because of the peaks of the pandemic, and therefore decrease the number of 'excess' deaths counted.
Mortality is not linear, it is not the same every year, so averaging over five years removes the fluctuations seen year-on-year. This is a method approved by the World Health Organisation. (WHO). For example, 2015 was an exceptionally high mortality year, while 2019 was exceptionally low. The decision was made to move to an average of the following five years: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021. This moves our five-year average along by a year but does not include the exceptionally high number of deaths seen in 2020. It allows deaths in 2022 to be compared with a five-year average that is as up to date as possible while still being close to representing a 'normal' year. This methodological change has been reflected in the "measuring the data" section from Week 1 2022 of the weekly deaths bulletin.
More information on the Five year average can be found in our blog Understanding excess deaths during a pandemic.
Deaths due to and involving COVID-19
We hold the following analysis Deaths due to COVID-19, registered in England and Wales which provides the number of deaths registered in England and Wales due to and involving coronavirus (COVID-19). Breakdowns include age, sex, region, local authority, Middle-layer Super Output Area (MSOA), indices of deprivation and place of death. Includes age-specific and age-standardised mortality rates.
2022 and 2023 data
We publish COVID-19 deaths by 5 year age band weekly in the following publication: Deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional.
For further information on any of the subjects above please contact Health Analysis and Pandemic Insight Customer Services team on Health.Data@ons.gov.uk.
Funeral homes
We do not hold data relating to funeral homes or burials and cremations.
The Competition and Markets Authority have published articles and statistics regarding Funeral homes. They can be contacted on foiarequests@cma.gov.uk
Statistics relating to burials can be obtained from local authority's and parish councils. Cremation statistics are available online from the cremation society of Great Britain: https://www.cremation.org.uk/statistics
Life insurance
Unfortunately, we do not hold data relating to life insurance.
Statista publish some information on the UK Life Insurance market which may of interest.
Life insurance industry in the United Kingdom (UK) - statistics & facts | Statista