Revealed: Thousands of double jabbed over 50s have died from Covid in the last 4 weeks

More than 2,500 fully vaccinated over 50s have died from Covid in the past month in England, new data shows.

In a report published by the UK Health Security Agency analysis revealed 2,683 fully vaccinated over 50s have died within 28 days of positive Covid test in the last four weeks.

Some 511 unvaccinated people died in the last four weeks of Covid.

The figures reflect the fact that the vast majority in this age group has had at least two Covid vaccines.

Death rates among the unvaccinated are significantly higher.

For people aged over 80, the unvaccinated have a death rate of 125.4 per 100,000 compared to the vaccinated 54.9 per 100,000 in the past four weeks.

For 70-79 the gap is even wider, with the unvaccinated death rate at 103.8 per 100,000 compared to 16.2 for the vaccinated.

In the younger age groups, deaths remain mercilessly low with just one death reported in the 18-29 fully vaccinated age group.

Although practically all of the older generations are now double jabbed, the government has been ramping up the rollout of the booster vaccines to the most vulnerable.

Almost 11 million third doses have now been handed out across the UK, with 340,000 carried out on Wednesday.

The government has pinned its hope on the third boosters to avoid ever entering 'Plan B' semi-lockdown in England.

Plan B would see the work from home request return as well as mandatory masks in public places.

The prime minister has said the best way to protect the NHS this winter - and therefore avoid more restrictions - is for people to get their boosters

Last week Boris Johnson said: "The key thing you want to do is to reduce those pressures, which are building, on the A&Es, on beds, by encouraging people, particularly the over-50s, to come forward and get your booster jab.”

The NHS is in need of support this winter, according to health bosses who warned on Thursday the service was "on its knees".

From NHS England, shows 5.8 million people were waiting to start treatment at the end of September – the highest number since records began in August 2007.

The number of people having to wait more than 52 weeks to start treatment stood at 300,566 in September, up from 292,138 in the previous month and more than double the number waiting a year earlier, in September 2020, which was 139,545.

The King’s Fund health think tank said “chronic workforce shortages” were heaping pressure on overstretched staff who are exhausted from the pandemic while figures showed huge waits for treatment and very long waits for ambulances to reach 999 calls.

Deborah Ward, senior analyst at the King’s Fund said any of the statistics on their own should be a cause for concern but when "taken together before winter has even begun, they suggest a health and care system running hot for such a sustained period whilst still dealing with Covid-19, it is now on its knees.”

The staff shortage in the NHS could get even worse next year after the government announced from April all healthcare staff will need to have had the Covid vaccine.

The government has predicted more than 70,000 NHS staff could lose their jobs as a result.