Just three patients hospitalised with Delta variant were fully vaccinated
Just three people out of 126 admitted to hospital with the Delta (or Indian) coronavirus variant have had both doses of a coronavirus vaccine, according to Matt Hancock.
The health secretary told MPs “the jabs are working” and said: “The majority of people in hospital with Covid appear to be those who haven’t had the vaccine at all.”
Figures up to 3 June showed that out of 12,383 cases in England of the Delta variant first identified in India, 464 people turned up at A&E and 126 were admitted to hospital. Of these 126 people, just three – or 2 per cent – had received two doses of a vaccine.
The Delta variant, which is now the UK’s most dominant strain, is at least 40 per cent more transmissible than the Alpha (or Kent) variant, according to the latest advice from experts.
The more transmissible variant is driving a rise in Covid cases in parts of the UK, with case rates rising in more local areas than at any point since early January. On Monday, the UK reported 5,341 new cases – then the highest number since 22 March.
Hancock said: “Despite the rise in cases, hospitalisations have been broadly flat. The majority of people in hospital with Covid appear to be those who haven’t had the vaccine at all.”
During the first and second waves, 3.5 per cent of people infected with coronavirus needed hospitalisation. However, the latest figures show that rate has now fallen to 1 per cent. There were 5,683 new cases in the 24 hours to Monday and just one death.
Hancock said the data was “very good news” and showed the vaccine was breaking what had been a “rock-solid link” between infections and hospital admissions back in the autumn.
Despite the positive data, he said it was still “too early” to make any firm decision onwhether to go ahead with the next stage of reopening on 21 June.
He told MPs the roadmap has always been “guided by the data” and said the government will make an announcement next week on 14 June after it has assessed the impact of easing restrictions on infection rates.
“I know that these restrictions have not been easy and with our vaccine programme moving at such pace, I’m confident that one day soon freedom will return.”