FOI REF: FOI-2023-1417
You asked
Please could you provide the rate of deaths and serious injuries in children following the administration of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination?
We said
Thank you for your request.
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 ICD-10 codes Y58 and Y59.
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). You can disaggregate by sex or age bands or look at other information.
Please see the following instructions for how to use our NOMIS webservice:
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).
Select format (Excel or CSV for example)
Following examination of our data, no deaths have been registered in England or Wales that were due to Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccinations in 2013 to 2021. These would have been coded as Y590 - Viral vaccines.
Unfortunately, we do not hold information on possible injuries following a Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccination. You may be able to obtain this information from NHS Digital. They can be contacted via email at enquiries@nhsdigital.nhs.uk.
Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority
The Yellow Card Scheme which is provided by the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority (MHRA) may also be able to offer further information. They 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 or adverse reaction to a medical product including vaccines. 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. They can be contacted using this form.
If you would like to discuss any of the data provided, please contact Health.Data@ons.gov.uk.