Here’s how to understand COVID-19 vaccines and the death statistics
The data can be misrepresented to make it look like vaccines don’t work, or worse – but that’s not the whole picture
Social media posts commenting on data from the UK, Israel and South Africa, among others, claim deaths from COVID (or all deaths) are now higher in vaccinated than unvaccinated citizens.
Others make the more moderate claim vaccines do nothing to prevent death from COVID-19.
These reports appear intimidating, because they usually utilise real data or statistics. Many of the raw numbers presented are indeed correct, though not complete.
But people – including Clive Palmer who said this week vaccines don’t work and Craig Kelly who spread vaccine misinformation via text message – should ask whether they have understood the context, analysed the data properly and interpreted the results accurately.
