COVID-19 vaccine injury and death numbers: FOI release

Information requested

The number of injuries treated in hospital from a COVID-19 vaccine, and of those injuries, number of hospitalisations for more than 2 days. The number of deaths from a COVID-19 vaccine.

If the new COVID-19 variant of concern Omicron is a cover up for the amount of side effects from a COVID-19 vaccine and if politicians are asking NHS staff to lie to the public.

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information regarding hospitalisations due to COVID-19 vaccine side effects that you have requested. The reason why we don't have the information is because responsibility for data on hospitalisations sits with Public Health Scotland (PHS).

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. You may be interested in the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Coronavirus vaccine - weekly summary of Yellow Card reporting - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), which summarises all reported side effects of any COVID-19 vaccine.

National Records of Scotland (NRS) publish the number of deaths with COVID-19 vaccines causing adverse effects as the underlying cause of death as part of their monthly statistical report. See Table 12 of the latest monthly report published on 15 December 2021.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Regarding the new COVID-19 variant of concern Omicron, Public Health Scotland note in their COVID- 19 weekly report for Scotland:

On 23 November 2021, a small number of cases of a new SARS-CoV-2 variant with 32 spike mutations was reported by South Africa to the international genomic database, GISAID. This variant was designated B.1.1.529 on 24 November 2021. On 26 November 2021, the World Health Organisation designated it a Variant of Concern known as Omicron. Given the number of mutations on the Omicron variant of SARSCoV-2, there are concerns of potential immune escape and/or higher transmissibility when compared to other variants. This could lead to an unexpected surge in cases, even amongst the vaccinated or recently infected. Whether Omicron leads to increased or less severe disease also is not yet known. World Health Organisation (WHO) notes that further investigations into the characteristics of the Omicron variant are required.

Politicians are bound to follow the Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles). This includes all those who are elected or appointed to public office, nationally and locally, and all people appointed to work in the Civil Service, local government, the police, courts and probation services, non-departmental public bodies, and in the health, education, social and care services. All public office-holders are both servants of the public and stewards of public resources. The principles also apply to all those in other sectors delivering public services.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.