Freedom of Information request on Yellow Card post-COVID-19 vaccination data grouped by recipient data (FOI 21-379)
Published 28 June 2021
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/freedom-of-information-responses-from-the-mhra-week-commencing-3-may-2021/freedom-of-information-request-on-yellow-card-post-covid-19-vaccination-data-grouped-by-recipient-data-foi-21-379
5th May 2021 FOI 21/379 Dear
Thank you for your email dated 7 th April 2021, where you requested the following information for the COVID-19 vaccines:
“the most up to date available vaccination and Yellow card figures grouped by the following recipient data – vaccine received, age group & gender e.g. Pfizer Male 20-29, AstraZeneca Female 20-29 showing the following information – Total 1st doses administered Total 2nd doses administered Reported adverse reactions (total for each reaction) Fatal adverse reactions (total for each reaction)”
We can confirm that the MHRA does hold this data.
We intend to publish all suspected reactions reported in association with available COVID-19 vaccines in an interactive format as interactive Drug Analysis Profiles (iDAPs), along with our ADR summary that is published each week. The use of iDAPs will enable users to view the data by categories of their choice such as age, sex and seriousness of reports.
As we plan to publish the data, 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 there is strong interest in seeing this data and accept it should not be withheld.
We will send you a link to the iDAPs once they are published.
The current published data can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-vaccine-adverse-reactions
The information regarding doses would require manual review of each report to extract and is therefore exempt from release under Section 12 of the FOI Act. Section 12 of the FOI Act specifies that a public authority may refuse requests where the cost of dealing with them would exceed the appropriate limit, which for central government is set at £600. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 24 working hours in determining whether the department holds the information, locating, retrieving and extracting the information.
I hope the information provided is helpful, but if you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of this response; and can be addressed to this email address.
Yours sincerely, FOI Team, Vigilance and Risk Management of Medicines Division