A new report claims that data released by the Scottish government showed how people who were vaccinated against COVID were more likely to become infected, be hospitalized or die from the disease versus their unvaccinated counterparts.
The Public Health Scotland COVID-19 & Winter Statistical Report dated January 17 showed that among the unvaccinated population of 979,617 of which 3,601 tested positive for COVID, there was a 412 out of 100,000 rate of COVID positivity. This is compared to a population of 340,151 who all got one dose of the COVID vaccine, of which 1,093 tested positive, resulting in a 543 out of 100,000 rate of COVID positivity.
Among 995,855 people who received two doses of the COVID vaccine, 9,363 tested positive for COVID, resulting in a 865 out of 100,000 COVID positivity rate. For 2,982,132 people who received booster shots, 13,566 tested positive, resulting in 481 out of 100,000 rate of COVID positivity.
Meanwhile for acute hospital admissions, among 1,093,639 unvaccinated people, 130 were hospitalized with COVID, resulting in 32 hospitalization rate per 100,000. Among 241,461 people who received just the first dose of the COVID vaccine, 31 were hospitalized with COVID, resulting in 26 per 100,000 hospitalization rate. For 989,345 of those who received two shots of the vaccine, 191 were hospitalized, resulting in a 45 out of 100,000 hospitalization rate. Lastly, out of 2,981,022 who got three doses of the vaccine, 424 were hospitalized with COVID, resulting in 11 out of 100,000 hospitalization rate.
Public Health Scotland also took a closer look at the number of confirmed COVID related deaths by vaccination status and age-standardized mortality rate per 100,000 between December 11, 2021 to January 7, 2022.
Results showed that among 1,541,298 unvaccinated people, 12 people died, resulting in an 8 per 100,000 mortality rate. Meanwhile, among 340,177 people who received one vaccine dose, only 3 people died, resulting in a 7 out of 100,000 mortality rate. For 995,855 individuals who received two doses of the vaccine, 26 people died, resulting in 12 out of 100,000 mortality rate.
Lastly, among 2,982,133 people who received three shots of the vaccine, 21 people died, resulting in a 0.46 out of 100,000 mortality rate.
According to WND, the death rate of those who received two shots of the COVID vaccine is 12 per 100,000, which is 50% higher than the rate of the unvaccinated if not accounting for the population size.
Elsewhere in Scotland, the government has published a measure that would allow the government to continue using emergency powers in response to COVID. According to The National, "Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Bill" would now empower ministers to respond to public health emergencies by imposing lockdown restrictions, restricting access to schools, and allowing court hearings to move to online venues.
The measure was met with resistance from Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser, who remarked that "too much of it amounts to an unwarranted and unacceptable power-grab."
