Updated: 5.30pm
No Covid-19 deaths have been recorded among vaccinated people under 50 in Ireland, according to new figures.
The findings from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) come as the Department of Health confirmed 1,059 new Covid cases on Friday. As of 8am, there are 308 people with the virus in hospital, 59 of whom are being treated in ICU.
In the period from April to September, there were 103 breakthrough infections among people who died and were fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
The HPSC said the average age recorded in these deaths was 81 years and 64 people (62.1 per cent) were reported as having an underlying condition. Their ages ranged from 50-97.
There were 301 Covid-19 deaths in the same period, just over half of these (50.8 per cent) occurred in people who were not vaccinated, The Irish Times reports.
The @hpscireland has today been notified of 1,059* confirmed cases of #COVID19.
As of 8am today, 308 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 59 are in ICU.— Department of Health (@roinnslainte) October 1, 2021
With more than 90 per cent of the adult population now vaccinated, breakthrough infections in vaccinated people are accounting for an increasing proportion of deaths and intensive care admissions.
According to US studies, unvaccinated people are 29 times more likely to be hospitalised and 11 times more likely to die after contracting the virus than unvaccinated people.
The HSPC also recorded 70 breakthrough infections among people who were admitted to intensive care between April 1st and September 25th and who were fully vaccinated.
Over the period, a total of 356 people were admitted to ICU, of whom 70 per cent were unvaccinated.
Of the breakthrough infections who were fully vaccinated at least 14 days before admission to ICU, there was an average age of 65 and an age range of 30 to 88 years.
One third died and 97 per cent had an underlying condition.
The HSPC report found that more than one quarter of Covid-19 infections in the last two weeks were among children aged 12 and under.
