Trends in Excess Deaths

Opened the debate

The MP raised concerns about the increase in excess deaths since July 2021, particularly affecting younger individuals. He criticised the lack of transparency and adequate data collection by organisations such as ONS regarding unexpected mortality rates. Bridgen highlighted discrepancies in baseline calculations used to determine expected death counts, arguing that including deaths from abnormal periods like 2021 skews results. He discussed issues with delayed reporting due to investigations by coroners, leading to incomplete data on actual death figures. The speech covered excess deaths across different age groups and questioned the correlation between vaccine rollouts and increased mortality rates, suggesting a need for thorough investigation into vaccine safety and efficacy.

Government Response

The Minister acknowledged an increase in excess deaths but disagreed with the analysis presented, attributing it to various factors including high flu prevalence, ongoing challenges from COVID-19, strep A outbreaks, and chronic conditions. She noted that while there is a high rate of vaccination among those who have died, this does not necessarily imply causality. The Minister cited studies indicating lower all-cause mortality rates for vaccinated individuals since the introduction of boosters in 2021. She addressed vaccine safety concerns, encouraging reporting through the yellow card system and highlighting actions taken by the MHRA based on reported adverse events, such as changes to vaccination guidelines based on rare side effects.