Here's a tiny story about everybody's favourite show: British Columbia, pandemic data, and government transparency.
Today's episode: the case of the 99% vaccination rate!
Today's episode: the case of the 99% vaccination rate!
It took some time, but the government now breaks down % of people vaccinated in a pretty detailed way: not just by local health area, but by age and by health region.
And that publicly available data says that 99% of people 18-29 in Coastal Health have gotten a vaccine dose.
And that publicly available data says that 99% of people 18-29 in Coastal Health have gotten a vaccine dose.
99% of people 18-29 in Vancouver Coastal Health vaccinated would be an amazing story, and an unbelievable success for public health officials in convincing a demographic that across the world has been a bit slower to get a shot.
But that's just it: it's unbelievable.
But that's just it: it's unbelievable.
It's not just unbelievable because 99% is well out of the range of every other age group, in every other health region in B.C., or in fact the entire country.
It's unbelievable because 5 weeks ago, those progress bars suddenly showed a smaller % of people 30-50 with one dose.
It's unbelievable because 5 weeks ago, those progress bars suddenly showed a smaller % of people 30-50 with one dose.
It's also unbelievable because the federal government's data shows 83% of people 18-29 across B.C. with one dose.
Given B.C. also says first dose rates for that age group are 87% in Island Health and 88% in Fraser Health, and the numbers simply don't add up.
Given B.C. also says first dose rates for that age group are 87% in Island Health and 88% in Fraser Health, and the numbers simply don't add up.
There are a couple plausible options here: someone accidentally put in the wrong baseline number for 18-29 year olds, and so the % is skewed.
Or they're adding international students who have gotten a shot without changing the baseline population estimate.
Reasonable issues!
Or they're adding international students who have gotten a shot without changing the baseline population estimate.
Reasonable issues!
We've asked the government about this twice, because our newsroom thought 99% vaccine uptake was a big story (and it would be!), but I had my doubts on the data.
So has another publication.
All they've said in response is that the 99% figure is accurate.
So here we are.
So has another publication.
All they've said in response is that the 99% figure is accurate.
So here we are.
Update to the story of the government claiming 99% of people 18-29 in Vancouver Coastal Health have been vaccinated: they've now admitted it's not true, with a lengthy explanation on their dashboard once the number got to the literally impossible 100% mark
I don't know why you would claim to multiple media organizations that the number was accurate
Only to acknowledge literally a day later that it wasn't accurate
But not actually contact the media to tell them that
seems like a bad communications strategy but what do i know
Only to acknowledge literally a day later that it wasn't accurate
But not actually contact the media to tell them that
seems like a bad communications strategy but what do i know
Worthwhile to note that a Heath Officer with Vancouver Coastal Health also misled the UBC Board of Governors to their face about this fact earlier this week
https://twitter.com/ubysseynews/status/1440415269059371011
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