FOI Ref: FOI/2023/4794
You asked
You have not released an update to the dataset that supports the Deaths by vaccination status, England bulletin (https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/datasets/deathsbyvaccinationstatusengland) since 6 July 2022.
Please release the updated dataset - simply Table 5 (Monthly age-standardised mortality rates by vaccination status by age group by sex for all cause deaths and deaths involving COVID-19, per 100,000 person-years, England, deaths occurring between 1 January 2021 and 31 Dec 2022) should suffice.
We said
Thank you for your request.
The Deaths by vaccination status, England - Office for National Statistics publication has not been discontinued.
We are currently updating the publication to use 2021 Census data.
The previous publications used Census 2011 data. This only covers 79% of the population because the rates are derived for the cohort of people enumerated at 2011 Census who were registered with a GP (General Practitioner) at the beginning of the pandemic and who were alive at the beginning of the month of interest.
Using Census 2021 data, we can be representative of a much larger proportion of the population including people who migrated since the 2011 Census and people too young to be included in the 2011 Census.
This publication will be released on 21 February 2023.
As such, the information you have requested 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. Furthermore, 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.