FOI Ref: FOI/2023/4933
You asked
Please send me the complete deaths from COVID-19 vaccinations from England and Wales from January 2022 till February 2023.
We said
Thank you for your enquiry.
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 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 latest available data is January 2023, February data will be published on 23March 2023.
In England, from March 2020 to January 2023 there were 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, from March 2020 to January 2023 there was 1 death registered with COVID-19 vaccines causing adverse effects in therapeutic use as the underlying cause.
Information for February 2023 is exempt under Section 22(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, whereby information is exempt from release if there is a view to publish the information in the future. As a central government department and producer of official statistics, we need to have the freedom to be able to determine our own publication timetables. This is to allow us to deal with the necessary preparation, administration and context of publications. It would be unreasonable to consider disclosure when to do so would undermine our functions.
This exemption is subject to a public interest test. We recognise the desirability of information being freely available and this is considered by ONS when publication schedules are set in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. The need for timely data must be balanced against the practicalities of applying statistical skill and judgement to produce the high quality, assured data needed to inform decision-making. If this balance is incorrectly applied, then we run the risk of decisions being based on inaccurate data which is arguably not in the public interest. This will have an impact on public trust in official statistics in a time when accuracy of official statistics is more important to the public than ever before.
If you have any queries about the information provided, please contact the Health Analysis and Pandemic Insight (HAPI) Customer Services team at Health.Data@ons.gov.uk.
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.