133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000
Virginia Crawford
By email:
[FYI request #15019 email]
Ref:
H202103703
Dear Ms Crawford
Response to your request for official information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) on 29 March 2021
for:
“...the overall New Zealand dollar value of payments made (or to be made) to Pfizer for
the supply of 10 mil ion Cominarty vaccines.
Could you also please let me know the estimated cost (including transport and storage) of
administering these vaccines to the population (reportedly five mil ion).”
Al information relating to vaccine purchasing and external organisations utilised in the New
Zealand COVID-19 vaccine rollout is withheld in full pursuant to the following sections of the
Act:
• Section 9(2)(c), to avoid prejudice to measures protecting the health and safety of
members of the public,
• Section 9(2)(b)(ii), as its release would likely unreasonably prejudice the commercial
position of the person who supplied the information and
• Section 9(2)(j), to enable a Minister of the Crown or any public service agency or
organisation holding the information to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage,
negotiations, including commercial and industrial negotiations.
The Ministry is satisfied that in the circumstances of this case, the withholding of the information
under section 9 is not outweighed by other considerations that render it desirable in the public
interest to make the information available.
Under section 28(3) of the Act you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review my decision
to refuse your request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Ministry website at:
www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases/responses-official-
information-act-requests.
Yours sincerely
Jo Gibbs
National Director
COVID-19 Vaccine and Immunisation Programme, Ministry of Health
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