FACT BRIEF

Does UK data show that fully vaccinated people are more likely to die of the COVID-19 Delta variant than unvaccinated people?

Saturday, July 3, 2021

By Austin Tannenbaum

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In the U.K., those who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 have not been more likely to die from the coronavirus’ Delta variant than unvaccinated people.

Between Feb. 1, 2021, and June 21, 2021, Public Health England found that fully vaccinated people in England comprised:

1.8% of 92,029 confirmed cases of the Delta variant.
10% of 3,460 associated hospitalizations.
43% of 117 deaths.

If the vaccine lacked effectiveness, infection and hospitalization rates would be equal among vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Instead, the data shows that vaccinated individuals were much less likely to contract the virus and to be hospitalized.

Fewer serious cases translates to fewer deaths. On June 28, Cambridge University published an estimate that COVID-19 vaccines have already prevented 7.2 million infections and 27,000 deaths in the U.K.

By early June, 50% of U.K. adults were fully vaccinated.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

GOV.UK Public Health England: SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and variants under investigation in England

GOV.UK Vaccines highly effective against hospitalisation from Delta variant

BBC Misleading stat claims more vaccinated people die

Medical Research Council Biostatistics Unit (University of Cambridge) Latest modelling suggests that COVID-19 vaccines have prevented 7.2m infections and 27,000 deaths

Sky News COVID-19: More than half of adults in UK have now had two coronavirus vaccine doses

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