COVID-19 Vaccine Gaps Linked To Higher Hospitalization And Death Rates In The UK

A recent study published in The Lancet highlights the risks of COVID-19 vaccine gaps in the UK, showing that between a third and half of the population had not received the full number of vaccinations and boosters by the summer of 2022. This under-vaccination is associated with a significant increase in hospitalizations and deaths.

The study found that more than 7,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths could have been prevented in summer 2022 if the UK had better vaccine coverage. With COVID-19 cases rising again and new variants emerging, these findings offer important insights into the role of vaccination in public health and the need to address vaccine hesitancy.

For the first time, researchers analyzed anonymized health data from all four UK nations to provide a comprehensive picture of vaccination status across the country. This data, collected from June to September 2022, showed significant differences in vaccination rates across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales.

By June 2022, vaccination rates varied widely across the UK, with 45.7% of people in England, 49.8% in Northern Ireland, 34.2% in Scotland, and 32.8% in Wales being under-vaccinated. This meant that large portions of the population were not fully protected against COVID-19, putting them at higher risk for severe outcomes.

Mathematical modeling of the data showed that 7,180 severe COVID-19 cases, including hospitalizations and deaths, might have been avoided if the entire UK population had been fully vaccinated. This highlights the importance of maintaining high vaccination coverage, especially as new variants of the virus emerge.

Under-vaccination was particularly problematic for people over the age of 75, who were more than twice as likely to experience severe COVID-19 outcomes compared to those who were fully vaccinated. Younger people, men, and people in areas with higher levels of deprivation were also more likely to be under-vaccinated.

The study also identified that people of non-white ethnicity had higher rates of under-vaccination, which points to the need for tailored public health campaigns that address specific communities and their unique barriers to vaccination.

Researchers believe this study marks a new era in UK science by showing the potential of using routinely collected health data across the four nations. The infrastructure now exists to use this data to improve public health across many areas, such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, by gaining a deeper understanding of disease prevention and treatment.

Professor Angela Wood, co-author of the study, emphasized that this research could help inform policies and public health interventions aimed at improving vaccine uptake. The findings suggest that addressing vaccine gaps could save lives and prevent unnecessary hospitalizations in future pandemics or outbreaks.

Professor Sir Aziz Sheikh, another co-author, highlighted the importance of large-scale data studies, which have proven essential for pandemic management. He stressed that this research will help target future public health campaigns, ensuring they are effective in reaching the communities most in need of protection.