Unvaccinated up to 60 times more likely to end up in intensive care with Covid, report says

It comes as soaring numbers received first jab in run-up to Christmas

England’s vaccine rollout continued on Christmas Day and Boxing Day (AFP via Getty Images)

Unvaccinated people are up to 60 times more likely to be admitted to intensive care with Covid, according to new research, amid record-breaking numbers getting jabbed in the UK.

The greatest difference in admission rates for jabbed and unjabbed patients was in the 60-69 age group, the study found.

The Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (INCARC) looked at how many people per 100,000 in the population ended up in intensive care with confirmed Covid over a six-month period this year, breaking down the data into the vaccination status of patients.

For people in their 60s who had received two doses against Covid, this was 0.64 per 100,000 each week. But for those who had not been jabbed in this age group, this was 60 times higher at just over 37 per 100,000.

There was a stark difference in admission rates in other age groups depending on whether they had been vaccinated or not against Covid, INCARC found.

Both 50 to 59-year-olds and over-70s who had not been vaccinated against Covid were 27 times more likely to end up in intensive care with Covid compared to double-jabbed people of the same age.

For those in their 40s, admission rates were more than 13 times higher for unvaccinated people.

Admission rates were 12.5 times higher for unvaccinated 30 to 39-year-olds, and eight times higher for unvaccinated 18 to 29-year-olds.

INCARC considered unvaccinated as not having received a jab or getting a first dose within 14 days of a positive Covid test.

The study comes as the UK broke daily records for the number of people coming forward for Covid jabs between 16 and 22 December.

The number of people getting first doses of the vaccine also soared in the run-up to Christmas, according to the latest government figures.

Thousands were booked in to get jabs on Christmas Day, while others queued outside pharmacies to get their jabs at walk-ins.