COVID-19: calculation of vaccination rate refined

Since the pandemic began in February 2020, the Prince’s Government has published daily data on the evolution of the health situation in the Principality of Monaco: the number of positive cases recorded, the number of recoveries, hospital occupancy due to COVID-19, the number of tests carried out, the positivity rate, the vaccination rate, etc. The Government’s aim is to be able to monitor developments in the health situation more accurately and to assess the impact on the community.

In accordance with its pragmatic policy and given the duration of the pandemic, the Prince’s Government is keen to refine the methods used to calculate vaccination rates and will henceforth entrust this task to Monaco Statistics, an independent body which applies international standards.

Changes to calculation methods

During initial management of the health crisis, the Prince’s Government, like the majority of countries, counted the number of doses administered in comparison to the number of inhabitants living in the Principality. This provided a general idea of the vaccination rate.

There are, however, features specific to the Principality that need to be taken into account. 

• Over time, it has become clear that the Principality has vaccinated a significant number of people who work in Monaco but do not live in the country.
• Moreover, the Principality has a population which travels a lot. This is particularly true of residents who often spend long periods abroad and who may, consequently, have been vaccinated in other countries. If they have not then reported this to the Principality’s Vaccination Centre in the course of applying for a health pass or accessing serological monitoring, it is not possible to know who these people are.

Vaccination coverage of residents therefore continues to be underestimated due to this unquantifiable section of the resident population that has been vaccinated abroad and not reported this fact in Monaco.

Changes to the methods used to calculate the vaccination rate are thus being made in line with international counting methods. Figures relating to vaccination will now include only those people who are resident in Monaco and who have been vaccinated in Monaco. Individuals who had their first dose abroad then reported this to the Vaccination Centre in order to have their second dose in the Principality, as well as individuals who received two doses abroad then reported this to the Vaccination Centre to obtain a health pass or access to serological monitoring will be considered as “vaccinated in Monaco”.

In addition, for greater clarity, vaccination rates are published by age group for residents who have completed the full vaccination schedule. This will make it possible to identify the share of the population who have received a second vaccination of a two-dose regime or one vaccination of a single-dose regime.

From now on, the Government will share the overall results of vaccination every two weeks. Full details will be published online via the website www.imsee.mc.

Vaccination coverage rate

The vaccination coverage rate (full schedule) for the resident population increases with age. The rate is 65% for the resident population old enough to be vaccinated. It is above 50% in all age ranges over 18 years and has reached 76.7% for those aged 55–64 years and more than 91% for those aged 75 years and over.