Coronavirus (COVID-19) latest insights: Vaccines

Over 15 million people aged 50 years and over have received an autumn booster in England as of 20 March 2023. Around six months after the start of the autumn booster rollout, the majority of those in the oldest age groups last received a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine three to six months ago now. Adults aged 50 to 54 years are most likely to have received a vaccine in the last three months.

Over 9 in 10 people aged 12 years and over in the UK had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, nearly 9 in 10 had received two doses and around 7 in 10 had received three or more doses by the end of August 2022.

Rates for unvaccinated adults were higher for Black Caribbean, Black African and White Other ethnic groups. Rates were also higher for those living in deprived areas, who have never worked or are long-term unemployed, who are limited a lot by a disability, who identify as Muslim or as having an “Other Religion”, or who are male (October 2022).

In England, 15,120,938 people aged 50 years and over had received an autumn booster by 20 March 2023. Around 100 people received their autumn booster in the latest seven-day period (14 to 20 March 2023). This is a decrease from the previous seven-day period (around 200 autumn boosters, 7 to 13 March 2023).

The autumn booster campaign ended on 12 February 2023. All adults aged between 50 and 64 years were offered the autumn booster from 14 October 2022. Before this, boosters were being offered to residents and staff of care homes for older people, frontline health and social care workers, all adults aged 65 years and over, those aged 5 years and over in a clinical risk group, those aged 5 years and over who live with an immunosuppressed individual, and those aged 16 years and over who are carers.

More information can be found in the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) statement. This chart uses the vaccination data from the GOV.UK Coronavirus Dashboard which includes only those aged 50 years and over. This differs to the data from NHS England which includes those aged under 50 years, for example health care workers and immunosuppressed individuals.

Last updated: 24 March 2023

Read more about this on the GOV.UK Coronavirus Dashboard

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The length of time since people were last vaccinated varies by age group. More older people have received a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the last three months than younger people. However, the proportions in the oldest age groups have started to decline, as an increasing number of older people received their autumn booster more than three months ago now.

Around six months after the start of the autumn booster rollout, the majority of those aged 80 years and over (54.3%), 75 to 79 years (55.6%), 70 to 74 years (61.9%), 65 to 69 years (60.7%) and 60 to 64 years (57.9%) last received a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine three to six months ago.

Adults aged 55 to 59 years (1.9%) and 50 to 54 years (2.4%) had the highest proportions of people last vaccinated in the last three months.

For adults aged under 50 years, the majority of people were last vaccinated for COVID-19 at least six months ago. In those aged 45 to 49 years, 68.4% were last vaccinated at least six months ago, compared with 39.7% of those aged 75 to 79 years and 41.1% of those aged 80 years and over. This reflects younger age groups not being eligible for the autumn booster in 2022.

Children aged 5 to 11 years were most likely to be unvaccinated (89.4%) and adults aged 80 years and over (3.6%) were least likely to be unvaccinated. Vaccinations for those aged 5 to 11 years who are not in a clinical risk group are optional, whereas they were recommended for other groups.

This chart uses data from the National Immunisation Management Service (NIMS), which shows the number of people vaccinated as a proportion of the living resident population of England.

Last updated: 24 March 2023

Read more about this in the UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports.

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The proportion of people aged 18 years and over who were unvaccinated in October 2022 was highest for those identifying as Black Caribbean (39.5%), followed by those identifying as White Other (25.8%) and Black African (25.6%). The lowest proportions of unvaccinated adults were in the White British (8.8%) and Indian (9.7%) ethnic groups.

This is also reflected in rates for people aged 18 years and over receiving two or three COVID-19 vaccinations, where the lowest proportions were for those identifying as Black Caribbean (57.5% have received two vaccinations and 39.2% have received three vaccinations). Those identifying as White British had the highest proportions receiving two vaccinations (89.4%) and three vaccinations (77.6%).

The proportion of adults who were unvaccinated was also higher for those:

• living in more deprived areas, urban areas, or social rented housing

• who were not born in the UK or did not have English as a main language

• who have never worked or are long-term unemployed

• who are limited a lot by a disability

• who identify as Muslim or as having an “Other Religion”

• who are male

Last updated: 9 December 2022

Find out more in our Coronavirus and vaccination rates in people aged 18 years and over by socio-demographic characteristic and region, England dataset

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In the UK by the end of August 2022, of those aged 12 years and over:

• 93.6% had received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine

• 88.2% had received a second dose

• 70.2% had received three or more doses

This chart uses the vaccination uptake data from the GOV.UK Dashboard, which shows the number of vaccinations given to people of all ages as a proportion of the population aged 12 years and over.

First and second dose rates overestimate uptake. They include vaccinations given to children aged between 5 and 11 years but are shown as a proportion of the population aged 12 years and over.

Rates for three or more doses underestimate uptake. Not everyone aged 12 years and over is able to receive three or more doses. Only a small proportion of people aged under 16 years who are at a greater risk from COVID-19 can receive three or more doses. However, the figures provide a reasonable estimate of the proportion of those who can get a COVID-19 vaccine that have been vaccinated.

Last updated: 5 October 2022

Read more about this on the GOV.UK Coronavirus Dashboard

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High vaccine effectiveness shown for third dose against COVID-19

Vaccine effectiveness is the reduction in risk due to receiving a vaccine. It is estimated by comparing the risk between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, taking into account differences in the vaccinated and unvaccinated populations.

Vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation was 52.2% for a first dose for COVID-19 (between 21 March 2021 to 20 March 2022). Vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation for COVID-19 was 55.7% for the second dose, and 77.6% for the third dose, respectively.

Vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 mortality was 58.7% for a first dose, 88.6% for a second dose and 93.2% for a third dose.

Protection increases with the increase of doses and is high for the third dose or booster, as has been shown in previous research.

While these estimates take into account many sociodemographic and health-related differences between people, some differences may remain.

Last updated: 8 March 2023

Read more about this in our Vaccine effectiveness estimated using 2021 census variables bulletin

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COVID-19 mortality rates lowest for those with at least three vaccinations

Risk of death involving COVID-19 in England has been consistently lower for people who had at least a third vaccine dose or booster 21 days or more ago, compared with unvaccinated people and those with only a first or second dose.

Between March and December 2022, risk of death involving COVID-19 was similar for those who had received only a first or second dose and unvaccinated people, indicating possible waning in protection from vaccination over time. However, there is more uncertainty around these estimates because of smaller populations.

Non-COVID-19 mortality rates for people who have had at least a third dose or booster at least 21 days ago have been similar to those for unvaccinated people in the latter half of 2022.

While these rates are adjusted for age, they are not the same as vaccine effectiveness. Vaccinated and unvaccinated people likely differ in characteristics other than age, such as health. Some deaths are expected in vaccinated people as the number who are vaccinated is high and no vaccine is 100% effective.

Last updated: 21 February 2023

Read more about this in our Deaths involving COVID-19 by vaccination status, England: deaths occurring between 1 April 2021 and 31 December 2022 bulletin

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On this page we present official vaccination records reported on the GOV.UK Coronavirus Dashboard. We also present attitudes towards vaccination from our Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN) and vaccination status by characteristic.

To find out more about vaccination data from different sources visit our more information page.

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