FOI Reference: FOI/2021/2989
You asked
1. Please could you provide me with the official ONS definition of an 'unvaccinated individual' that you use when reporting figures of deaths involving Covid-19.
2. Do you consider an individual 'unvaccinated' if they die within 7 or 14 days of their first dose?
I am specifically referring to the recent report analysing deaths involving Covid-19 that occurred between 2 January and 2 July this year.
We said
Thank you for your enquiry regarding the definition of "unvaccinated" in our recent publication Deaths involving COVID-19 by vaccination status, England: deaths occurring between 2 January and 2 July 2021.
An unvaccinated individual is someone who has received no vaccinations.
The risk of a new infection following vaccination is highest during the first 21 days after the first vaccination, as shown by analysis of the COVID-19 Infections Survey.
So therefore our analysis is based on deaths within 21 days after first dose, 21 days or more after first dose, deaths within 21 days after second dose and finally 21 days after second dose as this is when vaccine is deemed most effective.
If you have any further enquiries, please contact Health.Data@ons.gov.uk.