Freedom of Information request on the adverse reactions reported regarding the COVID-19 vaccinations (FOI 22/448)
Published 31 May 2022
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FOI 22/448
3rd March 2022
Dear
Thank you for your FOI request dated 3rd February 2022.
We consider that your request is covered by Section 22 of the Freedom of Information Act (information intended for future publication) and the information you have asked for is therefore exempt from disclosure. Section 22 is a qualified exemption which means we have considered whether there is a greater public interest in releasing the information requested or withholding it.
We recognise that there is strong interest in this data but consider that it is in the public interest to continue to uphold the Section 22 exemption at this time. This decision involved balancing the public interest in publishing the data now, with the public interest in publishing it at a later date.
The MHRA will be developing a more appropriate route to publication in Summer 2022 and subsequently begin implementing new systems for provision of data across all medical products including vaccines, enabling the MHRA to produce an improved and more suitable format for publishing data in general. This will enable the COVID-19 data collected to be published in such a way as to minimise the risk of misuse and through providing context to the data and clear guidance around what is being presented. This will allow us to mitigate risks we have identified such as undermining the wider Government public health campaign for widespread COVID-19 vaccination and the subsequent risk to public health and safety. Data will be available in the new format by the end of 2022.
Kind regards,
FOI Team