Misleading: In the U.K., the COVID-19 hospitalization and fatality rate in fully vaccinated people under the age of 50 is 175 percent higher than in unvaccinated people.

By: Umme Kulsum
September 8 2021

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The Daily Expose has misinterpreted PHE's data. The number of deaths and the rate of hospitalization is much smaller in the vaccinated population. On September 7, 2021, the Daily Expose, a conspiracy-theory-based news site, alleged that the COVID-19 hospitalization and fatality rate among fully vaccinated people below 50 years of age is higher than that of unvaccinated people. This claim is false. Many more unvaccinated people below the age of 50 need hospital treatment for COVID-19 when compared to those who are fully vaccinated. On September 3, 2021, Public Health England released the latest information on cases, hospitalizations, and deaths due to COVID-19. Between the time frame of February 1 to August 29, there were 212,989 confirmed cases in the unvaccinated group for people below 50 years of age. Among the 212,989, there were 99 deaths, and 3,742 were admitted to the hospital with COVID-19. In comparison, there were 62,403 confirmed cases in the fully vaccinated below 50 years of age. Among the 62,403, there were 37 deaths, and 521 people were admitted to a hospital. This data clearly shows the number of deaths and hospitalization is smaller in the vaccinated population, and that the unvaccinated are at greater risk of being hospitalized for COVID-19. Public Health England figures cited in the article have been taken out of context. The Daily Expose has taken such figures out of context before in an article before. In August 2021, the Daily Expose claimed that COVID-19 vaccines increase the risk of death due to COVID-19 for under 50s by up to 177.5 percent. Loigcally also debunked this article then. Data from Public Health England and Cambridge University's MRC Biostatistics Unit suggests that the COVID-19 vaccination program prevented 95,200 deaths and 23,957,000 infections up to August 13, 2021. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that vaccine breakthrough cases are expected, breakthrough infections will require fewer hospitalizations, and death rates will be considerably low in vaccinated compared to unvaccinated people. COVID-19 vaccines were developed using science that has been around for decades. The vaccines currently available have been through all the required stages of clinical trials. Also, extensive testing and monitoring have shown that these vaccines are safe and effective. According to the World Health Organization, a growing body of data suggests that "most vaccines stimulate enough immunity to retain substantial efficacy against most variants, especially for severe disease, hospitalization, and death." The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention, and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organization or your national healthcare authority.