Deaths due to influenza (FOI)

Request

I would like to request the mortality rate with respect to influenza from 2018 to 2020 inclusively.

Response

Cause of death data comes from the information collected at death registration. All of the conditions mentioned on the death certificate are coded using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). From all of these causes an underlying cause of death is selected using ICD-10 coding rules. The underlying cause of death is defined by World Health Organisation (WHO) as:

a) the disease or injury that initiated the train of events directly leading to death, or

b) the circumstances of the accident or violence that produced the fatal injury

In the ICD-10 revision, Influenza is coded J09-J11.

Whilst we are able to provide information on the number of deaths from influenza in 2017, 2018 and 2019, unfortunately, we are unable to provide you with a full breakdown of the number of people who died from influenza during 2020 until sufficient time has passed after the end of the year to allow the cause of death data to be finalised and coded.

The following data relates to the period 2017 to 2019.

Please note that figures are based on mortality data and population estimates.

The Department has determined that where numbers are less than five, to provide the specific number of deaths would likely breach the privacy of the individuals. Article 25 (Personal Information) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has therefore been applied.

Articles Applied

Article 25 Personal information

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018.

(2) Information is absolutely exempt information if –

(a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018; and

(b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law.

(3) In determining for the purposes of this Article whether the lawfulness principle in Article 8(1)(a) of the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018 would be contravened by the disclosure of information, paragraph 5(1) of Schedule 2 to that Law (legitimate interests) is to be read as if sub-paragraph (b) (which disapplies the provision where the controller is a public authority) were omitted.