Covid vaccine data available to public should be 'much better' says senior UK Statistics Authority figure

Statistical regulators have previously asked for more detail about the programme, such as what proportion of certain groups have received the Covid-19 jab.

But this data is yet to materialise, which is "upsetting" and a "shame", Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter said.

The statistician from the University of Cambridge, who is also a non-executive director of the UK Statistics Authority, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "As a statistician, the lack of detailed data by the vaccine rollout, I find very upsetting.

"The office for stats regulation wrote to the Government... more than a month ago, saying there should be much better publicly available data."

He added: "We don't know about the numbers or the proportions by the priority groups - groups one to nine; we don't know the proportions by ethnicity; we don't know this broken down by region.

"I mean they do, somebody does, but we're not getting it. And I think that's a real shame as it was asked for a long time ago and so far nothing has happened."

His remarks come as the Yorkshire Evening Post and sister titles across JPIMedia continue our A Shot In The Arm campaign, calling for people to be provided with more easy-to-access information on the vaccine programme and its progress.

The campaign also asks for further reassurance for local communities and urges Prime Minister Boris Johnson to deploy the country’s network of 11,000 pharmacies to ensure that every citizen is only a short walk away from a vaccination centre.

The Government's Covid 'dashboard' - available for anyone to view at coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ - provides daily and weekly updates on the total number of people in the UK to have received first and second doses of either of the two vaccines currently in use here.

But while figures on testing, cases, hospital admissions and deaths can all be broken down as far as local authority or hospital trust level, the website does not include detailed local data when it comes to vaccinations.

Also in news: When will everyone in the UK be vaccinated? Accelerated vaccine rollout plan and priority groups explained

Responding to Prof Sir David, vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi told the Today programme: "As of last week, NHS England have published CCG (clinical commissioning group) level data across England, which I think was important.

"We collect ethnicity data and we publish that, and we work with directors of public health and local government to share mid-level data, without obviously in any way jeopardising people's privacy and personal health data.

"But all that work continues at pace. Data is our ally in this vaccination rollout and we continue to do more."

He added he would "happily" look at what else could be done to improve wider access to data on vaccinations.

Addressing the Commons on Monday about plans for how England will exit lockdown, the Prime Minister said that the success of the vaccine rollout would be one of the four key tests for deciding whether each of the steps set out could proceed on the dates provisionally outlined.

He said the aim was to now offer a first dose to all those in groups five to nine of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's priority list by April 15 as he announced "another stretching target to offer a first dose to every adult by the end of July".

Groups five to nine of the priority list include all those aged 50 years and over as well as those aged 16 to 64 who have underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality.

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