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70% OF COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units since April had not received a vaccine against the virus.
Among those who contracted the virus and died in the last six months, 50.8% were unvaccinated.
New reports published by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) provide data on the number of deaths and ICU admissions among people with Covid-19 and whether or not they were vaccinated.
Between 1 April and 25 September, the HPSC was notified of 356 people with a confirmed Covid-19 case who were admitted to ICU.
70% of those admitted to ICU – 250 people – had not received a vaccine or did not have a vaccination recorded on Ireland’s Covid-19 immunisation system.
The remaining 106 people, or 30%, had at least one dose of a vaccine against Covid-19 before they were admitted to ICU.
20% of the cases were vaccine breakthrough infections, which meant a fully vaccinated person had the virus more than 14 days after they received their vaccine.
Of the 70 people with a breakthrough infection admitted to ICU, 97% had an underlying medical condition.
They were aged between 30 and 88, with a median age of 67, and included 44 men and 26 women. 23 of them have died.
Overall, the HPSC has been alerted to 301 people with Covid-19 who have died since April, of whom 50.8% – 153 people – were unvaccinated.
49.2%, or 148 people, who died had received at least one dose of a vaccine, including 103 people classified as a breakthrough infection.
Among those who died after a breakthrough infection, 64, or 62.1%, had an underlying medical condition.
58 were men and 45 were women. They ranged in age from 50 to 97 with a median age of 82.
In total, 7.218 million vaccines against Covid-19 have been administered in Ireland.
That includes 3.5 million first doses, 3.4 million second doses, and 235,000 single doses of vaccines that only require one jab.
A booster vaccine programme for people with weakened immune systems is rolling out from this week, the HSE confirmed yesterday.
People aged 12 and over who are immunocompromised will be able to receive an additional vaccine dose, which will either be of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine regardless of the person’s initial vaccine type.
“As the vaccination programme for the 12 years to 15 years started later, those aged 12 years to 15 years who have been identified for an additional dose will be offered an appointment at a later date,” the HSE said.
“This is to facilitate the two month minimum interval from their last dose of Covid-19 vaccine.”
HSE Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry said that it “has been shown that people with weakened immune systems do not generate a full immune response to their first two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine”.
“This additional dose we are offering will mean they will get the maximum benefit from their primary vaccination course, giving them better protection against the serious effects of Covid-19,” Henry said.
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As cold as those stats are (we’re talking actual people losing their lives) they don’t lie, the vaccines work, it’s as simple as that. How people can remain anti-vax with this evidence is mind blowing.
@Keith Fay: so if they work, what about the other 30 per cent ?
@Ken Bramley: are you actually serious? After all this time? The vaccines are something like 90% effective in healthy people, less so in people with underlying issues …. am I really having to explain this?
@Ken Bramley: read the whole article, slowly, not just the headline
@Ken Bramley: no one has ever claimed the vaccine is 100% effective against hospitalisation. Of that 30% how many do you think have under lying health conditions that reduce the effectiveness in comparison to someone without those health conditions so while they may still end up in hospital they may not die. What is great news from data from Israel is that the 3rd booster has a 10 fold improvement in the effectiveness of the vaccine in regards to future variants, immunity and transmission.
@Keith Fay: It means 70% of the cases in hospital are from the 10% of adults that aren’t vaccinated.
@Ken Bramley: not so good at the old maths, are we Ken. The fully vaccinated are 80% of the adult population and that’s even higher amongst the old and vulnerable. Yet this group is a mere 30% of the ICU population, even though it’s a riskier population set.
@FlyingDogThing: isn’t it shocking that you have to explain that to him.
@Keith Fay: “How people can remain anti-vax with this evidence is mind blowing.” Not so mind blowing with people like Ken Bramley around.
@Gordon Larney: … and that his comment has over 40 likes, unbelievable
@Keith Fay: hey Keith love the music :) whens the next tour?
@FlyingDogThing: No. That’s not what it means at all.
These stats are based on those admitted to ICU over the last 6 months not just those who are in hospital now. In April, only about 10% of the eligible population was fully vaccinated. In July, it was more like 60%. These ICU admissions could have taken place at any time during this period. These statistics are relevant article doesn’t specify.
So as much as you want your comment to be true. It’s false.
@motojack: cheers man, we play the grand social on nov 13th :)
@john smith iv: Wrong. Read the article again. The 30% refers to ICU admissions over the last 6 months not the ICU population right now.
@FlyingDogThing: Embarrassing that you think that. We didnt have 90% of adults vaccinated by April, May, June, July or August. In fact we had 10% of population done by start of June, around 28% at start of July, 55% at start of August…… That 90% of adults vaxd is only a recent achievement. The figures in the article cover a broader date range, including when we had a smaller % amount vaxd. Poorly released stats based on a fluid situation. Almost meaningless information in regard to vax effectiveness (I know I bounced between adults and total pop vaxd but data on adults vaxd in chart format isnt readily available)
@FlyingDogThing: Not quiet… it is 70% of ICU patients due to covid since last April were unvaccinated. In April there were only 10% of adults over 18 vaccinated. Now we are at 90% of the poulation ove 12 vaccinated.
@Keith Fay: good man Keith, your second dose must be expired now. Toddle along and get your third jab. This time ask them how long does it last ? Let me know the answer, thanks.
@Ken Bramley: Thick as a plank ken
@Ken Bramley: Read the article, do the maths and here is an idea, research the third jab information coming from countries that have done it.
Then make a comment that makes some sense.
\as all you come across as is a confused spoilt child.
@Keith Fay: this time 6 mths ago people over 80 were getting their 2nd dose and 70+ their 1st dose – so of course lots of people admitted to ICU were unvaccinated – nothing to do with anti fax choice.
RIP to those who died.
@Ken Bramley: 7% of the adult population remain unvaccinated yet they represent 70% of those in ICU = 10 times more likely to end up in ICU or seriously sick as unvaccinated versus vaccinated. Plus yes 30% were vaccinated, but those 30% are 93% of the population ….and as the article states 62% of those vaccinated who ended up in ICU had an underlying health condition.
Why does this report not state percentage of unvaccinated hospitalised people with an underlying condition? This is a very important stat.
This figure is given for vaccinated hospitalised. Surely proportion of those getting very sick without underlying condition or vaccine is worth knowing.
@john doe: fair point not everyone who is unvaccinated is an anti vaxer. Providing this stat may actually help people who are undecided about the vaccine to realise the importance of them getting it. Education is a positive way rather than shaming or making people feel forced
@john doe: In fairness, I’d say several people didn’t realise they had an underlying condition making them high-risk until it put them in ICU. People weren’t getting checkups, they might not have known until they caught it. Good to know the risks, but some people don’t go near a doctor unless they’re in a bad way.
@Fiona Fitzgerald: true. The flip side of that of course is if you know you don’t have the main risk conditions, which are all obesity / lifestyle related you would be extremely unlucky to suffer serious effects from covid if you did catch it.
Of course vaccination offers another layer of protection but the lifestyle related protections should be part of the public discourse on covid. I find it very peculiar that it is not.
@john doe: non neurotypical people are a large cohort of the high risk community. Nothing to do with lifestyle choice or obesity.
Persons With Disabilities and older people are all high risk. Again nothing to do with lifestyle or obesity.
Vaccines work. Being fit makes a difference but not nearly as much as you think.
They might allow unvaccinated people into pubs and restaurants but our (unvaxed) sister is not allowed anywhere near her siblings houses or parents houses. We’re not taking any chances.
And to predict the expected onslaught, you can STILL contract covid when vaxed
@Alan Campbell: to sum up what you just typed. You have no faith in the vaccine you took.
@Roy Dowling:no vax is 100 per cent
@Alan Campbell: Wow you are one serious sad person. I really pity you. Willing to loose your sister over something that to the majority of people is no more than a cold. Life is short enough as it is.
@Alan Campbell: that’s terrible. Must be tough. Are yourself, siblings and parents at particularly high risk?
If not, the likelyhood of serious reaction to covid is very low and the vaccine is extremely effective at reducing that risk further.
Your sis is not really a big risk at all. The chances of a permanent rift in the family are far higher and more damaging than a covid infection at this stage.
I hope you work it all out.
@Alan Campbell: If you’re all fully vaccinated, I’d say you could compromise and meet outdoors for a short time. Agree with you all that it’s better not to have people over for an evening indoors if they aren’t taking all precautions.
@Alan Campbell: curious, if your sister was unvaccinated due to a health condition and the rest of you were all vaccinated would your attitude still be that she was risking your health or would your family have the opinion that you are all vaccinated to protect her. I ask because I have a family member who can’t be vaccinated and we certainly haven’t bared him from our houses or consider him any sort of a risk to us.
@SmallbutMighty: If the sister was unvaccinated due to a health condition then that’s a different story. If one of my siblings was unvaccinated I wouldn’t be all that worried about the health implications as all adults in my home are vaccinated and healthy overall. However, if the reason for not being vaccinated was due to some anti-vax tripe, then they wouldn’t be getting near the place. Who wants to in the company of an anti-science zero-empathy gowl, sibling or not ?
@Roy Dowling: What was the last line, he knows exactly what he and hos family are doing.
The vaccine does not stop you from catching the virus just the severity of the illness. However if there are underlying conditions it can still be fatal or leave you with Long Covid.
@Niamh Rochford: You obviously don’t know people who have passed away or have long covid.
If you did you would not make such ill informed comments.
So… ” Among those who contracted the virus and died in the last six months, 50.8% were unvaccinated”
Therefore 49.2% of those that died were vaccinated ??
RIP. I’d say many were frontline medical staff constantly exposed to a high viral load?
To be fair, people really didn’t get to choose the timing of when they got appointments to receive the vaccine. They could defer them sometimes but often it was a case of having to juggle appointments and treatment.
I was thinking of cancer patients who were in the middle of urgent treatment – they wouldn’t be able to get a jab on top of the treatment as their immune system is low enough while the cancer’s being targeted.
@Peter Donoghue: 148/301 (49.2%) deaths were notified in persons who had received at least one dose of COVID-19
vaccine prior to death.
• 103/301 (34.2%) of the notified deaths had an epidemiological date1 14 days or more after
receiving all recommended doses of vaccine and are considered as vaccine breakthrough infections
@Peter Donoghue: Read the article!!
@Peter Donoghue: Another way to put it – Unvaccinated make up 7% of the adult population but 50.8%+ of the unfortunate deaths. So 700%+ more likely to, unfortunately, die if you are not vaccinated.
Here’s another take on the reports:
301 people are reported as having died due to Covid 19 between 1st April 2021 and 25th September.
49.2% (148 people) of these recorded deaths had received at least one dose of the vaccine.
34.2% (103 people) were fully vaccinated.
37.9% (39 people) of those who were fully vaccinated had no reported underlying conditions.
Of the 153 people who were not vaccinated or not registered as vaccinated, no additional information is provided. Why?
@Jim Smith: You won’t get easy access to clear metadata because it is our governments interest to not publicly minimize the ‘success’ of the vaccine roll-out but good at minimizing the side-effects some may be facing after taking the jab
@Eric Vdc: Wghat are you talking about. The government and all of the comment from the HSE and NPHET are constantly singing the praises of the vaccines and how well it has worked.
We are considered the best country in the management of the vaccines and covid-19 at present.
Your tagline says Vaccinated, your headline says unvaccinated!
@Laoise O’Mordha: Separate points.
This is great information…thanks!
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