Covid: Nine in 10 vaccinated ICU patients had underlying condition, CSO finds

More than 90 per cent of vaccinated Covid-19 patients who were admitted to intensive care over a five month period had an underlying health condition, according to new data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

Furthermore, some 53 per cent of Covid-19 patients admitted to ICU between July and November reported being unvaccinated, the latest Covid insights bulletin on hospitals and intensive care said.

The data, published on Tuesday, found the vaccination status of hospitalisations with Covid-19 varied depending on age and ethnicity.

Just under 60 per cent of those aged zero to 24 who contracted the virus between July and November and were admitted to hospital were not vaccinated, the CSO found.

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The equivalent figure for the 25 to 44 age category was almost 50 per cent.

The median age of those who contracted Covid-19 and were admitted to hospital during this time frame was 38-years-old for unvaccinated individuals and 66 for vaccinated individuals.

Of those admitted to ICU who contracted the virus and were not born in Ireland, 84 per cent reported being unvaccinated.

However, since July, hospitalisations among those who reported as being vaccinated have been rising at a higher rate than those who reported as unvaccinated.

The average hospitalisation rate has been less than 30 people per 1,000 confirmed cases since April, with this decrease being seen in all age groups.

The average ICU admission rate has been less than five people per 1,000 confirmed cases since April.

However, the CSO cautions that the vaccination status used in the analysis was on a self-reported basis, and was not confirmed that all individuals who reported as being vaccinated had undergone the full Covid-19 vaccine schedule.

“These cannot be assumed to be breakthrough cases,” the CSO added.

In an updated analysis on vaccine uptake rates, some 90 per cent of Local Electoral Areas, found 83.7 per cent of those over 12 were vaccinated.

There was also a significant increase in the uptake of vaccines in people who have originated from eastern European countries.

People from the EU 15-27 grouping – consisting of the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia – reported the largest increase in vaccine uptake rate since September 9th at 3 per cent.

This increase was particularly seen among those aged 18-24 where there was an increase of 5 per cent to 41 per cent.