Covid-19 vaccination effects, hospitalisation and deaths (FOI)

Request

A

Since the start of the Covid-19 vaccination programme rollout how many people have reported side effects via an official reporting scheme?

B

How many have been hospitalised due to (or suspected to be due to) side effects caused by the vaccine?

C

How many people have died within 28 days of receiving a Covid-19 vaccination?

D

How many have died within 90 days of receiving the Covid-19 vaccination?

Response

A

Information is not held by the Government of Jersey, therefore Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies. Please see further information publicly available on www.gov.je in response to a previous Freedom of Information request. As the information is accessible by other means, Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

Covid-19 vaccine and reported side effects (FOI)

B

Information is partially available, up to the end of June 2021, on www.gov.je in response to a previous Freedom of Information request. Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has therefore been applied.

Hospitalisations following Covid-19 vaccinations (FOI)

For data that has been coded to date, there have been less than five admissions to Jersey General hospital since the end of June 2021, where an adverse reaction to the vaccine has been noted. Due to the small number of cases, disclosure control has been applied to avoid breaching the privacy of individuals involved. Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies. 

C and D

Information is partially available, up to the end of April 2021, on www.gov.je in response to a previous Freedom of Information request. Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has therefore been applied.

Deaths within 28 days of a Covid-19 vaccination - March and April 2021 (FOI)

Since 1 May 2021 no deaths currently registered have occurred within 28 days of first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination. As eligibility for vaccination moved to the younger age groups over spring and summer (and very few deaths occur in younger age groups overall) the numbers dying within a certain time frame of receiving a vaccine will continue to be low, and we will not be publishing figures as it is likely it would breach individual’s privacy. Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has therefore been applied.

The Freedom of Information referenced above was answered in the spirit of providing helpful information but was not required on the grounds that data sets were merged to provide a result. As there is no requirement under the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 to manipulate data, Article 3 will be applied to future requests requiring data merging.

Data on COVID-19 deaths will be included in the annually produced mortality report; the 2020 report will be published later this month. To date, no registered deaths have been linked to COVID-19 vaccination or side effects in Jersey, but if there were any instances of this, it would also be included in the annual mortality reporting (where numbers are large enough to disclose).

Coverage of vaccination is now so high across Jersey’s population, especially amongst older individuals, with over 97% of over 50’s now vaccinated, it is anticipated that the majority of deaths from any cause (which occur primarily in older individuals) will be in individuals who have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Providing a metric of deaths of any cause occurring in individuals who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 is of very limited value.

Articles applied

Article 3 - Meaning of “information held by a public authority”

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if --

(a) it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b) it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.

Article 23 - Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.