Plans for Community Vaccination
Virginia Crawford made this Official Information request to Ministry of Health
The request was refused by Ministry of Health.
From: Virginia Crawford
Dear Ministry of Health,
There's been a lot of talk lately about vaccinating the "team of five million".
I would like to know what the government's plans are for vaccinating children and infants.
Pfizer is still trialing 12-15 year olds and will have data regarding 5-11 year olds by the end of this year. So far there has been NO testing of children under 5.
There is also the question (a very serious one) of how the Pfizer vaccine may interact with other vaccines given to children. Data regarding this may NEVER be available.
What does the government plan to do about all this?
Yours faithfully,
Virginia Crawford
Ministry of Health
Kia ora Vurgina Crawford
Thank you for your request for official information received on 8 March
2021 for:
"I would like to know what the government's plans are for
vaccinating children and infants.
Pfizer is still trialing 12-15 year olds and will have data
regarding 5-11 year olds by the end of this year. So far there has been NO
testing of children under 5.
There is also the question (a very serious one) of how the Pfizer
vaccine may interact with other vaccines given to children. Data regarding
this may NEVER be available.
What does the government plan to do about all this?"
The Ministry's reference number for your request is: H202102628.
As required under the Official Information Act 1982, the Ministry will
endeavour to respond to your request no later than 7 April 2021, being 20
working days after the day your request was received.
If we are unable to respond to your request within this time frame, we
will notify you of an extension of that time frame.
If you have any queries related to this request, please do not hesitate to
get in touch.
Ngā mihi
OIA Services
Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
E: [email address]
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From: OIA Requests
Kia ora Virginia Crawford
Thank you for your request for official information received on 9 March
2021 for:
"The Government has signed legally binding contracts to purchase Pfizer,
Janssen,
AstraZeneca and Novavax’s vaccines. These contracts are advance purchase
agreements, which involve paying a proportion of the purchase price prior
to vaccines
being delivered."
Since 10 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine have now been purchased, what
is going to happen to the advance purchase agreements (for several million
doses) made with Janssen, AstraZeneca and Novavax?
How much money was paid, as a proportion of the purchase price, to those
companies?"
The Ministry has merged this new request with your previous request
received on 8 March 2021, reference number: H202102628.
As required under the Official Information Act 1982, the Ministry will
endeavour to respond to your request no later than 7 April 2021, being 20
working days after the day your request was received.
If we are unable to respond to your request within this time frame, we
will notify you of an extension of that time frame.
If you have any queries related to this request, please do not hesitate to
get in touch.
Ngâ mihi
OIA Services
Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
E: [email address]
show quoted sections
From: OIA Requests
Kia ora
Please find attached a response to your official information act request
Ngā mihi
OIA Services
Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
E: [1][email address]
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References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
From: Virginia Crawford
Dear OIA Requests,
In reply to my first question, you supplied a link, which cannot be clicked or copy/pasted. Please rectify.
The New Zealand public at large assumes that Medsafe carries out independent studies as to whether a product is safe or not. It appears that is not the case. I do not believe you have given a satisfactory reply to my question. The decision as to whether, or under what circumstances (in relation to other childhood vaccines) the Covid vaccine should be given to children and babies, surely lies with Medsafe and/or the Ministry of Health. It also begs the question as to whether they (especially babies) should be vaccinated at all.
Regarding my second question, in relation to the other vaccines referred to, I do not find your reply satisfactory. Your stating what New Zealand is going to do in regard to those agreements, does not compromise the so called "commercial position" of the companies concerned. These companies are billion dollar enterprises, so it's unlikely their commercial position would be prejudiced.
In any case, the New Zealand public has a right to know how its money is being spent and the Government has an obligation to supply that information.
Yours sincerely,
Virginia Crawford
From: OIA Requests
Kia ora Virginia,
Please find the links in your OIA response below:
[1]www.medsafe.govt.nz/consumers/Safety-ofMedicines/Vaccine-safety.asp.
[2]www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines.
As you were advised in your response letter, under section 28(3) of the
Act you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any decisions made
under this request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi
OIA Services
Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
E: [email address]
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From: Virginia Crawford <[FOI #14881 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 8 April 2021 09:09
To: OIA Requests <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Response to your official information act request
(ref.H202102628)
Dear OIA Requests,
In reply to my first question, you supplied a link, which cannot be
clicked or copy/pasted. Please rectify.
The New Zealand public at large assumes that Medsafe carries out
independent studies as to whether a product is safe or not. It appears
that is not the case. I do not believe you have given a satisfactory
reply to my question. The decision as to whether, or under what
circumstances (in relation to other childhood vaccines) the Covid vaccine
should be given to children and babies, surely lies with Medsafe and/or
the Ministry of Health. It also begs the question as to whether they
(especially babies) should be vaccinated at all.
Regarding my second question, in relation to the other vaccines referred
to, I do not find your reply satisfactory. Your stating what New Zealand
is going to do in regard to those agreements, does not compromise the so
called "commercial position" of the companies concerned. These companies
are billion dollar enterprises, so it's unlikely their commercial position
would be prejudiced.
In any case, the New Zealand public has a right to know how its money is
being spent and the Government has an obligation to supply that
information.
Yours sincerely,
Virginia Crawford
show quoted sections
From: Virginia Crawford
Dear OIA Requests,
Link (1) does not work - please rectify.
Your refusal to answer questions is clearly in breach of the Freedom of Information Act. I will be reporting this to the Ombudsman.
Yours sincerely,
Virginia Crawford
From: OIA Requests
Kia ora Virginia,
Apologies, please find the link below:
[1]https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/consumers/Sa...
Ngā mihi
OIA Services
Government Services
Office of the Director-General
Ministry of Health
E: [2][email address]
show quoted sections
From: Virginia Crawford <[FOI #14881 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 8 April 2021 09:09
To: OIA Requests <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Response to your official information act request
(ref.H202102628)
Dear OIA Requests,
In reply to my first question, you supplied a link, which cannot be
clicked or copy/pasted. Please rectify.
The New Zealand public at large assumes that Medsafe carries out
independent studies as to whether a product is safe or not. It appears
that is not the case. I do not believe you have given a satisfactory
reply to my question. The decision as to whether, or under what
circumstances (in relation to other childhood vaccines) the Covid vaccine
should be given to children and babies, surely lies with Medsafe and/or
the Ministry of Health. It also begs the question as to whether they
(especially babies) should be vaccinated at all.
Regarding my second question, in relation to the other vaccines referred
to, I do not find your reply satisfactory. Your stating what New
Zealand
is going to do in regard to those agreements, does not compromise the so
called "commercial position" of the companies concerned. These companies
are billion dollar enterprises, so it's unlikely their commercial
position
would be prejudiced.
In any case, the New Zealand public has a right to know how its money is
being spent and the Government has an obligation to supply that
information.
Yours sincerely,
Virginia Crawford
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References
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1. https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/consumers/Sa...
2. mailto:[email address]
3. https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...
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