Majority of Covid patients not double-jabbed - Chief Scientific Adviser

19 July 2021, 18:31 | Updated: 20 July 2021, 00:57

The majority of Covid patients in hospital are people who have not received both jabs, according to Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance.

Mr Vallance tweeted a correction to the statistic he gave at Monday's press conference, which previously claimed that the majority of Covid patients in hospital had been double jabbed.

In response to a question from the public at Monday’s press briefing, Mr Vallance said that around 60 per cent of people in hospital with Covid-19 have been double-vaccinated – but he said this was “not surprising” as the number of people who have been inoculated continues to increase.

“In terms of the number of people in hospital who have been double vaccinated we know it’s around 60 per cent,” said Mr Vallance.

“That’s not surprising because the vaccines are not 100 per cent effective, they’re very, very effective but they’re not 100 per cent.

“And as a higher proportion of the population is double vaccinated it’s inevitable that those 10 per cent [of people who are vaccinated but will still catch Covid] remain at risk and therefore will be amongst the people who both catch the infection and end up in hospital.”

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He added: “If everybody over 18 had taken up the vaccine then of course anybody who caught it would be double vaccinated.

“So the answer is that we should expect to see a higher proportion of people in hospital and catching the infection who are double vaccinated, that is inevitable that we will see that because of the less than 100 per cent efficacy of the vaccines overall.”

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As of Monday June 19, over 87 per cent of adults in the UK have received a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and 68 per cent have been fully jabbed.

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi confirmed on Monday that vaccines would be rolled out to some children under the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

“Today’s advice recommends that we continue to vaccine 16-17 year olds who are in an at-risk group as we do now, but it also recommends expanding the offer of the vaccine to some younger children with underlying health conditions that put them at greater risk of Covid-19,” said Mr Zahawi, speaking in the House of Commons.

“This includes children aged 12-15 with severe neurodisabilities, Down's Syndrome, immunosuppression and profound or multiple learning disabilities.

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“Mr Speaker, the JVCI advice also recommends offering a vaccine to children and young people aged 12-17 who live with someone who is immunosuppressed.

“This means we can indirectly protect the immunosuppressed who are at higher risk of serious disease from Covid-19 and may not generate a full immune response to vaccination.

“Finally, the JVCI advice advises that we should offer the vaccine to all 17-year-olds who are within three months of their eighteenth birthday so we can make sure they are protected as soon as they turn 18.”

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Also at Monday’s press conference, the prime minister Boris Johnson confirmed that venues such as nightclubs will need to make use of vaccine passports from September.

"I don't want to have to close nightclubs again as they have elsewhere, but it does mean nightclubs need to do the socially responsible thing and make use of the NHS Covid pass,” said Mr Johnson.

"I should serve notice now that by the end of September, when all over-18s will have had their chance to be double jabbed, we are planning to make full vaccination the condition of entry to nightclubs and other venues where large crowds gather."