70% of COVID-19 inpatients under 50 unvaccinated, new DoH data shows

The information is contained in a new report on the vaccination status of patients who have been hospitalised from COVID-19 and of those who have died from COVID-19 for weeks 41 to 44 (October 11 to November 7, 2021).

For COVID-19 inpatients aged 50 and over who are unvaccinated the figure is 20 per cent.

According to the Department unvaccinated individuals aged 50 and over are almost 5 times as likely to be admitted to hospital with COVID19 than fully vaccinated individuals.

And for adults under 50, whilst the numbers admitted to hospital are lower, an unvaccinated individual is almost 11 times as likely to need hospitalisation from COVID-19.

Unvaccinated individuals aged 50 and over are more than 4 times as likely to die than fully vaccinated individuals, the Department data reveals.

DoH says that the success of the vaccination programme has resulted in a very small percentage of unvaccinated individuals, particularly for the older age cohorts.

"When there is a very high vaccine coverage in the population, even with a highly effective vaccine, it is expected that a large proportion of cases, hospitalisations and deaths would occur in vaccinated individuals.

"This is simply because a larger proportion of the population are vaccinated than unvaccinated and no vaccine is 100% effective. This is especially true because vaccination has been prioritised in individuals who are more susceptible or more at risk of severe disease.

"Individuals in risk groups may also be more at risk of hospitalisation or death due to non-COVID-19 causes, and thus may be hospitalised or die with COVID-19 rather than because of COVID-19. Death and admissions rates per 100,000 should therefore be interpreted with caution," the Department states.