FOI Ref: FOI/2021/2619
You asked
How many people are recorded as having died within 28 days of testing positive from COVID-19, have received any form of COVID-19 vaccine, prior to testing positive or prior to dying?
We said
Thank you for your request.
Our COVID-19 mortality data and Public Health England (PHE)'s data are produced in different ways and have different purposes:
The daily COVID deaths counts reported on the government's COVID-19 dashboard (produced by PHE) shows deaths within 28 days of a first positive laboratory-confirmed test.
ONS weekly death registrations data for England and Wales, relate to the week that ended 11 days prior and are based on the cause of death reported on the death certificate.
More information can be found in a blog by Professor John Newton of Public Health England about the complexities of counting COVID-19 deaths and the different methods used.
Therefore, we do not hold the specific information requested pertaining to those who have died within 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19, as this information is not supplied on the death certificate. Public Health England (PHE) may be better placed to assist with this request. They can be contacted via email at n_coronavirus@phe.gov.uk.
However, it may interest you to know that we are currently working on analysis on all aspects of the relationship between COVID-19 vaccination and mortality, including:
Information regarding deaths after 28 days of vaccination from any cause.
Information regarding deaths involving or due to COVID-19 after receiving COVID-19 vaccination.
Once we have finalised these plans a publication date will be announced on our Release Calendar.
You can find figures published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) here.