Covid-19 vaccines haven’t reduced deaths from the virus in the most vulnerable groups, a new study has discovered.
Covid mortality rates remained high in people with severe mental illness (SMI), such as schizophrenia, severe depression and bipolar disorder—even though they were first in line to get the vaccine.
They were prioritised along with the over-70s to get the first vaccines, and everyone identified as having severe mental illness had been offered a first jab by April, 2021. SMI patients die on average 15 years earlier than healthy people, and they were also more likely to suffer a severe Covid infection that needed hospital care.
Although vaccine takeup was lower than in the general population, researchers have been able to match up Covid mortality rates against people with mental illness who were vaccinated. Despite being vaccinated, the Covid mortality rate remained higher among SMI patients than in the general population.
