CO VID-19 VACCINE STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION WEEKLY REPORT
Week ending:
23 October 2020
Priority:
Routine
Security
In Confidence
Tracking number: 2021-1111
classification:
Action sought
Deadline
Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern
Note the contents of this Weekly Report
N/A
Prime Minister
Hon Grant Robertson
Minister of Finance
Hon Dr Megan Woods
Minister of Research, Science and
Innovation
Hon Chris Hipkins
Minister of Health
Rt Hon Winston Peters
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Dr Peter Crabtree
Maree Roberts
General Manager Science, Innovation and International
Deputy Director-General, Systems Strategy
23 / 10 / 2020
and Policy
23/ 10 / 2020
Minister’s comments:
0
IN CONFIDENCE
COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy
Implementation
Weekly Report
Week ending 23 October 2020
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VACCINE STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION WEEKLY REPORT
Purpose
This weekly joint report updates Ministers on key developments of the implementation of the COVID-19 Vaccine
Strategy.
Workstre
ams
Advance Purchase Agreements
Contact: Poppy Haynes
Phone: 9(2)(a)
Overall progress summary
Science reviews: 6 science reviews completed, 2 more scheduled
Provision of Heads of Terms/supply agreements by vaccine developers: 5 drafts received, 2 more expected this week
Negotiations with vaccine suppliers: 6 in active discussion, 1 definitive agreement underway (following agreement on
Heads of Terms).
Progress this week
We have begun engaging with two new suppliers, in addition to the 6 we have already been negotiating with, and are
expecting to receive draft heads of terms in the coming week. This takes the total number of pharmaceutical
companies we are actively engaging with to 8.
We have been working closely with Bell Gully (our external legal counsel) on several advanced negotiations, and we
hope to conclude these shortly. We expect to provide Minsters with further advance purchase agreements for
consideration and agreement in the first half of November. Important concessions we have achieved include securing
more doses for New Zealand, earlier delivery time frames, better payment terms (eg reducing the amount paid
upfront at risk) and narrower indemnities than originally offered.
In some cases, we are seeking further scientific briefings where new clinical trial information is available, especially for
candidates which are early stage, and/or where we have some concerns about effectiveness and/or the likelihood and
severity of side effects.
Immunisation Strategy and Programme (MOH)
Contact: Mathew Parr
Phone: 9(2)(a)
The Ministry will this week begin purchasing the consumables required to deliver a vaccine. There is a global shortage
of most items, and given the timeframes in which consumables need to be delivered, the Ministry will seek to utilise
emergency procurement rules to directly approach the relevant suppliers.
Following sign off from the Ministers of Health and Finance on the National Immunisation Solution business case, the
focus has been on developing the overall roadmap and ensuring the right capability is engaged to support the delivery
of the project.
Work is underway to develop the COVID-19 Vaccine prioritisation framework or immunisation sequencing that will
underpin the COVID-19 Immunisation Strategy. The Ministry met with the Immunisation Implementation Advisory
Group on 16 October and received helpful feedback on the key parameters for the prioritisation framework, including
proposed problem definition, assumptions, principles, and objectives for the prioritisation framework under a range of
scenarios. Their feedback related primarily to how Te Tiriti o Waitangi and equity considerations were incorporated
into the framework. The Ministry are working through the feedback this week and are due to meet with the IIAG again
on 30 October to discuss how their feedback has been incorporated and its impact on our thinking.
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VACCINE STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION WEEKLY REPORT
COVAX
Contact: Glenys Karran
Phone: 9(2)(a)
Gavi will convene the first meeting of the COVAX Facility Shareholders Council on 2 November. The body will comprise
repre
sentatives of all 92 self-financing participants, including New Zealand, and is intended to provide operational
oversight of the self-financing mechanism. The first meeting will be a chance to finalise the Shareholders Council
Terms of Reference and operating procedures, and elect co-Chairs and representatives to the Shareholders Council
Executive Committee.
Gavi will also use the meeting to update participants on which vaccine candidates will feature in the COVAX portfolio,
including estimated dose volumes and timeframes for purchasing decisions. MFAT met on 20 October with Gavi to
discuss the detail of how purchasing through the COVAX Facility will work, and agencies are considering principles to
guide decisions whether to opt in or out of candidates in the COVAX portfolio.
Science and Manufacturing
Contact: Justine Daw
Phone: 9(2)(a)
Science advice
The Taskforce’s independent Science and Clinical Review Panel has completed two more science reviews of priority APA
vaccine candidates in the past week, bringing the total to date to seven. Three ‘consensus documents’ and associated
‘summary statements’ on each APA candidate have been completed to date, drawing on commercially-privileged
information provided by the developer/supplier, as well as wider scientific information (e.g. trial registration data, early
research data, and peer-reviewed research publications). Three further sets of completed documents are expected by
early November to inform officials’ advice to the Taskforce (and subsequently Ministers) on vaccine purchase decisions.
The Panel is also gearing up to undertake similar assessments of vaccine candidates to be offered via the COVAX Facility
from mid November (TBC), and provide science advice on ‘portfolio balance’ across the priority vaccine candidates.
Communications
Contact: Karl Fergusson
Phone: 9(2)(a)
Communications planning
We are working with MFAT on a communications plan for the Pacific. This will include input from MoH’s Immunisation
Programme communications team, and is complementary to the overall Communications and Engagement strategy
that we have developed.
We have purchased survey results from market research agency Horizon (in association with the School of Population
Health at University of Auckland), which will provide a useful baseline when identifying attitudes and sentiment
towards COVID-19 vaccines. Related to this, we have further refined the research brief with Te Pūnaha Matatini, so
that we can monitor on-going trends in vaccine hesitancy and acceptance.
Stakeholder engagement
Work on the Stakeholder Reference Group is progressing. We have agreed a draft Terms of Reference and
membership list with MoH. An invite from Ashley Bloomfield and Peter Crabtree is being prepared to send to
prospective members next week. We expect to schedule the first meeting for the group in November. We are also
working with other agencies (Education, DIA, MSD etc) to schedule Task Force related briefings during November
using existing, Covid related stakeholder forums.
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VACCINE STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION WEEKLY REPORT
Media management
We are proactively contacting journalists who have shown an interest in the COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy, to ensure
visibility of the Taskforce’s role in the vaccine procurement process. We are actively working with Dr Helen Petousis-
Harris and other STAG members to identify their needs for responding to media. We are aware of upcoming media
appearances by several members of the STAG, including in a New Zealand Listener article and an appearance on
RNZ’s/Newsrooms ‘The Detail.’ We are working with a journalist from North & South Magazine to provide content for
a vaccine related feature.
Upcoming Briefings
Due Date
Briefing
Title
Sign Out
Number
Manager
TBC
Business Case for Domestically Manufacturing COVID-19
Simon Rae
Vaccines
(Nov 2020)
Cabinet Paper
Due Date
Briefing
Title
Sign Out
Number
Manager
TBC
COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy – Nov 2020 Progress Report
Peter Crabtree
(Nov 2020)
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